Naruto Arashiodori
by Lucifer-Allheart
Summary: Orochimaru didn't stop the fight at the Chuunin exams, wanting to see the potential of the young shinobi present. But he had no idea just what kind of effects his decision would have.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** hello everyone and welcome to my Naruto fanfiction. I will warn you right away at the start that this fanfic will be very long and will contain canonretelling at the start (from the Gaara fight up until the Valley of the End fight). I have made adjustments in the canon so I could use my story, so it will have some changes.

Also, secondly I try to update this story once a month. That way I can keep working on this story as well as my Dragonball Z and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time fanfictions.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga series Naruto or it's characters in anyway. I am simply borrowing the characters, without permission from the author, to write my own little story.

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Naruto Arashiodori

Uzumaki Naruto couldn't believe it. Down there in the pit, where he had fought and defeated Hyuuga Neji no 2 hours ago, Uchiha Sasuke was fighting Naruto's worst nightmare. Sasuke, Naruto's rival, was fighting against the one person that Naruto was actually openly afraid of facing.

Gaara of the desert.

After the talk Naruto had with the red haired sand-shinobi yesterday, he discovered two things. They had been living a similar life and for a similar reason. Both had been hated and feared by their village because they had a demon sealed inside of them. But Naruto was scared of Gaara because, unlike Naruto, Gaara did not get out of the loneliness. Instead he stayed in it and killed anyone that came close to him. It was the thought that anyone could stay in the darkness of being alone so long and willingly stay there that had Naruto scared.

And now Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto's rival and teammate, was down there fighting him. After asking, almost begging even, Kakashi-sensei to interfere with the fight because Sasuke would lose, he pulls of a trick like that. With his new Jutsu, Chidori, Sasuke had easily pierced Gaara's sand orb that was protecting him. But afterwards the orb had cracked, revealing Gaara holding a bloody shoulder, a look of total madness in his eyes. And that strange, different arm that had been attached to Sasuke as he jumped back from the hole was also worrying Naruto. He knew what that arm was, just by looking at it. He just felt it. The combination of the Chakra and the appearance left nothing to his imagination. That arm was from Gaara's inner demon, Shukaku.

"What is that?" his teacher, a tall man with silver hair and his forehead protector covering his left eye, said.

Before he even realized it, Naruto answered the question.

"Shukaku."

---

'This fight is truly becoming interesting. Show me you power Sasuke-kun. You have already become this powerful without using my seal. But this is an opponent that you can not defeat on your own. Seek out my power.' Orochimaru thought to himself as he watched the fight between the Sand's most powerful shinobi and the boy he had chosen to become his next container. Involuntarily he gave a small chuckle.

"What's the matter Kazekage-dono?" the old Hokage asked. "It's rare to hear you amuse yourself like that."

"It is nothing Hokage-sama." He answered, assuming his role again. 'It's still too early. I want to see Sasuke-kun's potential.' He didn't voice his thought though. Instead he smoothly told his old teacher a lie. "But it has been the first time that I have actually seen Gaara wounded. As should be expected from the famous Uchiha-clan. But I fear that he has passed the border with Gaara. When Gaara become enraged, he stops at nothing but complete murder. If a shinobi of the Sand completely dominates against even one of the Uchiha-clan it will improve our mission rate even more then I dared dream when I came here."

"…" the old man didn't answer, instead focusing his attention at the fight in the pit.

---

"UCHIHA SASUKE!!!"

'What's with this guy?" Sasuke thought. 'I've hit him with Chidori but afterwards he nearly crushes my arm. And now that he's finally out of that cocoon of his, he looks totally different. What was he trying to do in there?"

"I'LL KILL YOU!" the Gaara-sand monster shouted. Almost instantly he launched himself at Sasuke.

'What the?' Sasuke acted quickly, dodging Gaara's attack and made some distance between the two of them.

'Before he only fought from a distance, not even moving. And now all of a sudden he starts using taijutsu? What's going on here? If it wasn't for my Sharingan I would have hardly be able to dodge it.'

"DIE!" again Gaara launched himself at Sasuke. This time he was prepared though.

"Come!" Sasuke yelled. Using his Sharingan to the fullest Sasuke focused a high amount of Chakra into his legs and sidestepped, dodging Gaara's attack. In the same motion he quickly kicked the sand shinobi, sending him of balance for a second. Never one to waste an opening, Sasuke quickly continued his attack.

Making sure his attacks were as fast as possible, he quickly punched Gaara in the guy, followed by an elbow to the face. 'Now!' he thought, going for a neck-chop, to deal heavy damage.

"Aargh!" in his moment of attack, aiming for a critical area, Sasuke had opened his guard and Gaara instantly used it. With the giant arm of sand he slammed Sasuke away, into a wall.

A wall on the other side of the stadium.

Sasuke's vision was swimming. He couldn't see straight right now. The punch Gaara had given him had hurt unlike anything he ever got hit by. Even trying to stand up straight was a difficult task right now. Realizing he needed a few seconds to recover, Sasuke looked up. Gaara was not going to let him recover; he was already running towards him, probably intending to deal the finishing blow.

Suddenly, Sasuke thought back to everything that happened years ago. The night his brother killed everyone in the clan. Remembering that his brother said that he should become the avenger, destined to fight Itachi to the death, he felt hatred flowing over him again. And with the hatred came power. Performing the seals for Chidori, he shouted his thought, not even realizing it.

"Itachi! I will become an avenger! I will kill you!" as he shouted the last word, he charged Gaara. He didn't realize it, but suddenly the curse seal that Orochimaru had given him activated. It was the source of his new power and speed.

---

While the two boys were racing towards each other determined to have only one survivor, in the stand a few of the leaf shinobi were scarred. Ino, Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Tenten and Neji (who had recovered a little during the fight between Shikamaru and Temari and was now watching the other matches) all remembered that instance in the Forest of Death when Sasuke had gained the markings on his body and crushed an entire team of shinobi single-handedly. Even Kakashi was getting worried, seeing how his seal was not helping contain the curse. It meant that Sasuke was experiencing great hatred and anger.

"What happened with Sasuke?" Naruto asked. He, along with Kiba and Hinata, didn't have a clue about what was going on. None of the three had been present or awake last time Sasuke went berserk.

"CHIDORI!"

"DIE!"

With those yells the teenage boys clashed.

Sasuke, using the Chidori, cutter Gaara's sand arm of at the shoulder but Gaara himself was left unhurt. Meanwhile, Gaara, using his arm of sand before it was cut of, had managed to scratch Sasuke's arm, causing it to bleed just below the shoulder.

Before either of the boys moved again, Gaara let out an eerie laugh, enough to scare the entire stadium. And even while laughing, the sand from his gourd reformed a new monster-arm. But this time around, it was on his other arm. His dominant arm.

Suddenly, so fast none of the ordinary villagers, lord and other non-shinobi could see, Gaara turned around and slammed Sasuke with his monster arm again. Not being able to react in time, Sasuke again went flying across the entire arena.

"DIE! UCHIHA SASUKE!" Gaara shouted, jumping after Sasuke to go in for the kill. Literally

---

Up in the stands, Naruto was very close to actually wetting himself. Down there, in the ring, he saw his teammate and rival Uchiha Sasuke getting beaten up. The genius, last of the Uchiha was getting torn apart.

'And that's they guy I have to fight next! There's no way I can win against someone like him!' Naruto's thoughts were racing.

"AARGH!" a cry of pain suddenly sounded throughout the entire arena, drawing back Naruto's attention to the fight. 'Sasuke's still getting his ass kicked down there. Isn't there something we can do?'

As he looked again, he saw Gaara go in for a simple kick.

"Alright!" he shouted out, surprising everyone around him. Seeing there surprised looks he continued. "If Gaara starts throwing such pathetically slow kicks, Sasuke can easily see them and counter with the Sharingan. And at that range, Gaara's huge arm is probably useless!"

He had regained hope, now. An arm that size can't be swung as quickly as would be needed in close combat. With his Sharingan Sasuke would get the advantage back. They'd meet in the next round after all!

"No." Kakashi said. "Sasuke's already used the Chidori twice and that's his limit. He hardly has any chakra left and added to that, with that curse seal activated, he probably has a lot of difficulty even breathing. He has no chance of winning this fight now."

"What?"

"The Chidori is a high level assignation technique. It's not meant to be used more then once in short succession. The amount of chakra it uses to perform is extremely large. I can only pull of about 4 a day, in combination with the Sharingan. Sasuke is nowhere near that amount yet and he still hasn't completely mastered the Sharingan."

"But, that would mean that…" Naruto couldn't get him to finish the sentence.

"Yeah, that's right." Kakashi said, almost reading his thoughts. "The strategy against Gaara was to win in 1 hit, using the Chidori. But Gaara's defenses were even better then I thought they would be."

"DIE!" again Gaara's insane voice sounded through the stadium. Sasuke's body was send flying by the force of his last blow. Even with the body still in mid-air, Gaara raised his hand, as if trying to grab him from a distance.

"Oh shit." Kiba exclaimed, having rushed over with Hinata when they saw the fuss that Naruto had been making. "That's the movement for his killing attack. We have to move now!" he yelled.

Before he even said the last line, Naruto had already rushed down the steps, as low as the stands went. He could almost see Sasuke on eye level, still flying from the hit Gaara gave him. The sand was rapidly closing in on him now and Naruto recognized it from the fight with Lee. Without really thinking over what he was doing, he threw his right hand forward, moving it like he was throwing a ball. While doing so, he released the Kyuubi's chakra, sending it towards Sasuke.

The Chakra of the great demon fox, the strongest of the known demons, left from all five fingers of Naruto's hand, quickly moving towards Sasuke. In the mean time the sand of Gaara, using the power of Shukaku was also trying to wrap itself around the Uchiha. It would all come down to which of the two would be faster now.

"Sabaku Sõsõ!" Gaara yelled as he closed his fist, trying to crush the Uchiha to death.

"Sasuke!"

* * *

A.N.: and that concludes chapter 1. if you have read this story, please leave a review telling me what you thought of it. I accept all critics that I can work with, because I want to improve my writing abilities. And of course, compliments are always welcome too.

I would also like to thank Illusion-sky, Zephyr-Tai-Ji and Mirrorsofillusion for helping me with this story. All three of these authors have read the storyboard for Naruto: Arashiodori as well as Dragonball Z fanfiction Triple Identity. They have been a huge help in making adjustment to the storylines and discussing some of the details.

Also, Zephyr-Tai-Ji has beta-read this chapter (as well as the other Naruto chapters I will publish) so I would like to thank him for that as well.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: welcome to Naruto Arashiodori chapter 2. I have a few things I want to say before I move onto the story.

I have stated at the end of the previous chapter that I would update the story once a month, so I have plenty of time to write ahead. However I have summer vacation right now and am bored as hell, so I decided that for the months July and August I'll update this story twice a month.

The 2 questions asked in the reviews I'll answer at the end, for those of you who are interested to know.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series or any of characters. I am simply using its characters and a bit of it's plotline to enjoy myself and hopefully some others as well.

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**Naruto Arashiodori chapter 2**

"Sabaku Sõsõ"

"Sasuke!"

Two yells sounded throughout the entire arena at once. Ironically both of the yells were from shinobi that were so much alike and yet so different at the same time. Both had been feared and hated from a young age, but they grew up very differently. Now, one of the two had lost his mind and had gone on a senseless killing spree and the other desperately tried to save his friend.

Everyone in the stadium held in their breath as the exchange occurred. The figure that was once Uchiha Sasuke, the village's new hope as a genius shinobi, last of the Uchiha and the best rookie in his class, had been captured in was appeared to be a complete cocoon of sand. And that cocoon was crushing him at the hands of the young boy with a demon of sand sealed inside his body.

But everyone could also see something else, even more amazing to the villagers. From the back of the cocoon, coming from up in the stands, five lines of red chakra had penetrated the cocoon. This chakra came from the one person every adult in the great village of Konoha had feared and hated. The hands of Uzumaki Naruto, the container of the greatest demon of them all. The nine tails demon fox, Kyuubi.

As far as the villagers could see, the two were fighting for the right to kill Sasuke.

---

Down in the ring however, Gaara was getting even madder then he already was. Someone was trying to keep him from killing his prey! 'He'll pay for that! You'll be next, Uzumaki Naruto! But for now, I'll kill this Uchiha first! He managed to hurt me. By killing him he'll'

"MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE!"

With that, he crushed his monstrous hand tight, increasing the pressure on Sasuke.

---

'NO!' Naruto thought desperately. 'I can't let him do this. I can't let him kill my friends!'

"AAGH!" Naruto yelled as he flexed and then extended his hand in an instant. The results were instant and obvious for all to see.

Still suspended in mid-air, the cocoon that had Uchiha Sasuke inside it, exploded. In that instant, all the well trained shinobi could see what had happened. The red chakra from Naruto's hand had been wrapped around Sasuke before the sand could. It had worked as a shield for the boy and stopped the pressure. And now that Naruto had extended his hand fully, the Chakra pushed all the sand away as well.

Now free of his prison, Sasuke was suddenly falling in mid-air. He wouldn't be able to catch himself, he was too hurt, and a fall from that height without preparing for it would spell the end for the young boy.

Not wasting a second, Kakashi quickly rushed forward and picked his student up in mid-fall, jumping over to the other side of the stadium. Laying him down, he made a quick check-up to see if Sasuke was still alive. Having made sure of his students survival, he picked him up again and returned to the seats.

'What's going on here?' Kakashi thought while walking. 'Since when can Naruto use the Kyuubi's chakra at will? Ebisu-sensei isn't such a fool to try and teach him that. If it went bad, the chakra could backfire and destroy the whole village. How did he learn to do that?'

Sakura, Ino and Chouji quickly left their seats so the teacher could lay the wounded boy down. Even then his mind was still racing with everything he had just seen. He knew that Sasuke would be in more danger in the first round, that was why Kakashi had decided to train the Uchiha himself, leaving Naruto, who needed to increase his basics, with an excellent teacher. 'Don't tell me he actually learned to use it on his own.' Kakashi almost shuddered at the mere thought. 'True, Naruto is a quick learner when he puts everything he has into it, but this would be a bit much. A dense guy like him would never think of a training where he has to use Kyuubi's chakra.'

Taking a single look at Gai, who only nodded back, Kakashi knew that his long time rival was thinking the same thing.

'And more then that; these last few minutes a lot has happened. Gaara turning out to be an actual jinchuuriki, Sasuke having used his Curse Seal again and finally; Naruto suddenly using Kyuubi's Chakra. I guess Sasuke still doesn't have enough control over himself. Speaking of Jinchiruku's, how come Gaara's been al quiet the last couple of minutes? And Naruto as well.'

Looking back, Kakashi saw Naruto and Gaara still standing where they were when he had moved in. they were still standing like statues, looking at each other, both with their arms still extended. From his position, he could easily see into Gaara's eyes. Those eyes were filled with bloodlust. Gaara's thought that moment were very clear. 'You have stolen my prey and now I'll make you pay for it.'

'And now Naruto? How are you going to react to it?' he idly wondered.

---

Meanwhile down in the ring, the judge Genma had raised his hands. He was first worried about his own safety, seeing Gaara's behavior, but he still had to make the announcement.

'WINNER! GAARA!"

Not unexpected, no-one even moved a muscle after the announcement. After a few seconds, seconds that seemed to last for hours to Genma, Gaara started yelling again.

"COME DOWN UZUMAKI NARUTO! I'LL KILL YOU! MAKE ME FEEL ALIVE! GET DOWN HERE!"

The entire stadium held its breath, waiting for the response.

---

Meanwhile, up in the seats for the Kage's Orochimaru was beginning to get really interested. 'Sasuke-kun wasn't able to win after all, but the Uzumaki boy actually stopped the crushing sand of that Gaara. He's used the Kyuubi's chakra twice now, I'm sure that my seal has been removed. But now I'm starting to get interested. Have you surpassed Sasuke-kun for the time being? Show me and show Sasuke-kun. Yes, show him that you've grown and send him right into my arms!'

Having trouble containing himself, Orochimaru gave a small chuckle. Seeing the surprised look on his old teacher's face, he quickly made up an answer.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama. I did not mean to sound rude, but this is truly a golden opportunity. Not only has Gaara defeated a member of the Uchiha clan, he will now also fight against the man who defeated a Hyuuga. His victory will truly be a blessing for the Sand."

"I see. But do not count on victory yet, the fight hasn't even started yet."

'Maybe, Sensei, maybe. But I doubt that a piece of trash like him could defeat Gaara.'

---

Still in the same position that he had taken when he tried to rescue Sasuke, Naruto was confused.

'What did I just do? I saved Sasuke didn't I? But how did I do that?' looking down, he looked Gaara right in the eyes. Seeing the bloodlust and madness in them, Naruto got scared like he never had been, even more scared then he had been against Zabuza. 'No! I can't fight him! He's too strong.' He suddenly started looking around, feeling very much like a fox caught in a dog hunt.

Kakashi walked up to Naruto from behind. Seeing him shake like that, he got worried.

"Naruto are you ok?"

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto spoke up, actually sounding a bit timid for once. "Tell me. Do you think this guy is strong? He defeated Sasuke and Fuzzy-brows. I'm… I'm scared. This guy's the same as me, but he's so much stronger. He's always gotten by on his own, unlike me. What should I do?"

"Well, Naruto." Kakashi started, trying to think up an answer to his question. "I will admit that this guy is no pushover. He's powerful, but that doesn't always mean that he's strong. You have every right to be scared of someone as fearsome as him. But tell me Naruto," as they both turned at looked at each other again, Kakashi continued.

"Since when do you run from your problems? What happened to the brave and stupid shinobi that attacked a swordsman of the Mist without fear?"

Wincing at the harsh voice of his Sensei, Naruto tried to speak up.

"But, Sensei. This guy… he's…"

"You just said that he's the same as you didn't you? Doesn't that mean that you're the only one that can fight him on equal grounds?"

"Huh? No, I couldn't fight a guy like him, he's…"

"He's someone that has hurt your comrades and right now you're the only one that can beat him. Are you telling me that you'll give up on them and let Gaara go unpunished? If so you disappoint me."

"I guess you're right, Sensei. I wouldn't make much of a Hokage if I did that huh." Naruto answered, halfheartedly.

Turning around, Naruto walked towards the group of Shinobi and Sasuke, who was still lying on the seats. Seeing the strange, almost grim look on his face, the group instantly went quiet. Sasuke stirred a bit as he struggled to see Naruto's face. He had already come too and he had also heard Gaara's scream moments ago.

"He Naruto." Ino said suddenly. "Don't tell me you're going up against that guy as well? He's a monster! Even Sasuke-kun couldn't defeat him!"

"A monster huh." he answered gloomy, almost whispering. "I guess you're right."

Stepping past Ino, he walked up to Sasuke and spoke up.

"Sasuke. I... I…I'm sorry, but it looks like," he struggled with his words suddenly. "We won't have our fight after all. I'm sorry." And with that, he suddenly turned around and walked down the steps that would lead him into the arena down below.

Surprised by the dark tone in his words, all the other shinobi looked at his back as he walked down the steps.

"What the hell was that all about?" Kiba said as soon as Naruto was out of their sight.

"Naruto-kun, he's…" Hinata started,

"He doesn't think he'll come back." Sakura finished for her.

"What?!" the other's all shouted.

No-one noticed that Kakashi still hadn't moved from where he had spoken to Naruto, or the fact that Gai had moved himself and now stood next to his rival.

"Why on earth did you do that Kakashi? The boy's too scared to fight this opponent. He'll get killed!" the loud man almost yelled.

"I know Gai, but there's a reason I said Naruto should fight him. You already knew didn't you? That boy, Gaara, and Naruto are the same. They are both Jinchuuriki who have been hated and feared throughout their lives. And it's because Gaara has always survived on his own, Naruto got scared. He's forgotten the meaning of his own strength and only looks at the opponent's. And right now, with the way Gaara is, Naruto is the only one who has the ability to defeat him. You saw it didn't you? He used Kyuubi's chakra to save Sasuke. As he is now, he probably doesn't stand a chance against Gaara, but if he were to overcome his fear Naruto would show him all the corners of the ring."

"I still think it's too much of a risk. There's too big a chance that he stays scared and can't fight at all. And if that happens, he'll be killed without a fight."

"Then you don't know Uzumaki Naruto. And I don't want to hear you about risky tactics."

---

"Now then," Genma announced, as Naruto walked into the arena with his shoulders hanging. At that moment, he really looked like a person ready for his execution. Gaara turned around the instant the blonde had stepped in and never once stopped looking at him.

"Now that both fighters are present. Let the semi-finals BEGIN!"

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A/N: now you'll have to wait for 2 more weeks before I update the story again. And please leave a review telling me what you think of the story and what you think can improve about my writing capabilities. 

And as for the questions:

Shadow Lunis asked if the match would be stopped if Gaara went demon. In my idea they wouldn't stop it since a demon's power is simply an advantage, just like a bloodline limit. They have no real reason to stop the fight yet, since it IS still allowed to kill your opponents.

And ArmorOfGeddon asked how it is that Kiba and Hinata are still conscious. After your question I realize that I didn't write it down, but in this version Hinata is almost completely healed from her injuries, meaning she didn't have her bleedings during Naruto's fight with Neji, which resulted in Kabuto not needing to help and Kiba and Hinata thus still being conscious. And as for the reason; you'll find out later on.


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: welcome to chapter 3, presented at the 2 week mark, just like I promised.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto series or any of it's characters. They are all the belongings of someone much, much richer then me and I am simply borrowing their characters for my own amusement.

* * *

Naruto Arashiodori

'Now then, Naruto-kun.' Orochimaru thought. 'Show me what you are capable of. You could control Kyuubi's power to the point where even a Hyuuga was no match and you deflected Gaara's attack. Show me if you are a threat to Akatsuki! Show me if you are a threat to ME!'

"It seems that this year will present a lot of opportunities for the Sand, do you agree Hokage-sama?" he said to his old teacher, still in the act of being the Kazekage.

"Yes, I myself am impressed by the power that your shinobi have shown today, as well as in the preliminaries. However, do not claim victory when the fight has not even started yet, Kazekage-dono. The fight has not even started yet and his next opponent has defeated the greatest genius in the Hyuuga clan." The Hokage answered.

"Yes," he continued, as if to himself. "It will be a fight between those that have defeated the Bloodline limits." Only in his thoughts did he finish the line. 'It will be a fight between something fare worse then bloodline limits. A fight between Jinchuuriki. I'm not sure the stadium could hold a fight like this. Let's just hope that Naruto does indeed have control over the Kyuubi's power, otherwise he'll certainly die.'

---

"Let the Semi-final battle BEGIN!"

As soon as the words left Genma's mouth, Gaara rushed forward attacking for the kill right away. His sand arm hit Naruto before he could even react.

"DIE!"

"Aargh!"

Before Naruto had even realized it, he had landed, feet first, on the wall of the arena. The force of Gaara's attack had sent him flying all across the stadium, just like it had done with Sasuke. But Naruto, unlike Sasuke, could still move and his reflexes, honed by months of training, allowed him to flip in mid air thus causing him to land on his feet and minimize the damage. As soon as Naruto looked up though, Gaara was close enough for their noses to be touching. Again, Naruto couldn't move before Gaara slammed him into the walls. And this time, Naruto had no way of reducing the damage.

As Gaara drew back his arm to go in for a third strike, Naruto looked up at the stands. Kakashi was still standing there, just like how he stood during their talk. But now, all the others, with Sasuke leaning heavily on Kiba and Chouji, had gathered as well to watch the fight. seeing the look on his teacher's face, Naruto thought back to the words that Kakashi had said just moments before. Moments that felt like an eternity to him.

"_You just said that he's the same as you didn't you? Doesn't that mean that you're the only one that can fight him on equal grounds?"_

'I was right. He IS too strong for me to fight with. I can't hope to defeat someone like this.' Naruto thought as the giant arm slammed into him for the third time now. He could feel the walls behind him cracking under the power.

'Someone like this, he's too strong! He's always lived on his own! I know how terrible it feels but he's always stayed there, never seeking the help of others. I can't hope to win against him!'

Before the monstrous arm slammed into him a fourth time, Naruto could feel himself being lifter into the air and he was thrown around the stadium once again.

As Naruto looked up, cursing the demon fox inside of him for it's healing, he saw Gaara rushing out at him again. But this time, he also saw something different.

Someone he had not seen in a very long time.

---

Up in the stands, the people were in a variety of opinions for the fight. Sakura could clearly hear people shouting at Naruto to get up and fight back, while others where yelling with glee that her friend and teammate was about to be killed in this tournament. Yet a third group of people was yelling that he had to get up and defeat Gaara for the honor of Konoha and to avenge everything he's done to Sasuke-kun. And all of the shinobi that actually knew Naruto and had seen what Gaara was capable of, were yelling at him to give up and surrender so he could at least survive.

'But why are some of these people so glad that Naruto is getting beaten by that… that thing!' she thought. She had always known Naruto was not well-liked. It was obvious for everyone from the way he was treated on the street, to the teachers in the academy and even her own parents reaction when they heard of her teammates. 'Why does everyone hate Naruto like that? What has he ever done wrong? Pranks don't earn you this kind of hatred to they?'

"Damn it Naruto!" Kiba was yelling beside her. "This guy isn't normal so just GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE! He'll tear you to pieces you moron!"

"I told you not to go against this guy!" Ino added and, like with Kiba, concern was evident in her voice.

Next to her, Shikamaru was standing, looking at the fight below. In his mind, he was reviewing the conversation he and Naruto had with Gaara the day before, back in the hospital. He had, back then, already realized that he would stand no chance against Gaara and, if Naruto's bluff was right, Gaara was facing the only opponent in the village that could fight him. But Gaara was winning big time.

---

As Naruto looked up to see Gaara storming at him again, he suddenly saw something behind him that reminded Naruto of something that had happened almost a year ago.

In his mind, he was suddenly back in a flower field, a flied that was in the country of the Wave. He could see a person standing in front of him, talking with a small smile on his face. if Naruto had not known it was a boy, he would mistake him for a girl all over again.

'I remember where this was. During the training to take on Zabuza, I met this boy and we talked. But why can't I remember what it was he said?'

"_do you…" _

It was all that Naruto could remember about the words. Before he had time to consider more words, Gaara attacked him again. Going for a different attack pattern this time, Gaara punched Naruto into the sky before jumping after him. He continued the attack by quickly kicking Naruto in mid air. The kick, although not executed by a monster-shaped limb, was still powered up by the Chakra of Shukaku and caused Naruto to be slammed into the audience. He met Kiba and the others head on, accidentally slamming his head into Kiba's.

"AARGH!" both boys yelled at the same time. Being quick to recover, Kiba quickly started yelling at Naruto.

"What do you think you're doing you moron? Are you trying to freaking kill me?"

Before Naruto could give his normal witty response, or someone else interfere, they were suddenly covered by a shadow. Looking up they saw Gaara standing there, but the sand was starting to wrap around more of his body. When everything went silent again, the only things that were left normal of Gaara were his legs, his hair and the tattoo for 'love' on his forehead. The rest of his body had all been covered in sand, making him appear like a miniature version of Shukaku.

"Show me!" Gaara suddenly demanded, not shouting for the first time since being hit by the Chidori. "Show me the power that defeated the Hyuuga! The power that stopped my attack! I'll crush it!"

Naruto, still not standing up after his collision with Kiba, was only looking at Gaara with fear in his eyes. For everyone their, except his teammates, it was the first time they saw the loudmouth blonde look like that and it was unsettling. If even Naruto, the idiot who they always thought was too stupid to even know what fear is, was scared of this guy, it could only mean real trouble.

---

As he looked around, hoping that Naruto would bring out that strange red power of his, Gaara saw the look in the eyes of all the people around him. Every single one of them held great fear for him. Every person in the stadium was afraid of him and he loved it! He was feeling alive like never before. And he had yet to kill his opponent. He was already looking forward to that point.

As he looked around again, he saw that the blonde shinobi before him still hadn't stood up. Instead he was only looking at Gaara, the fear in his eyes more obvious then with anyone else. Deciding it was time to end this and feel alive again, Gaara moved in for the kill. He lifted his arms up, parallel to the ground and, without even moving himself, extended them to unreal lengths, ready to slam his opponent to his death by cracking his ribs. It would be slow and painful, payment for taking his other prey away.

---

Naruto could see it happen, almost as if it were in slow motion. Gaara raising his arms, getting ready to kill him. The arms extended, monstrous hands quickly closing in on him, aiming to crush his chest. He closed his eyes, to afraid to see the inevitable in the eye, instead waiting for the pain to come.

It never did.

Confused, Naruto looked up. Gaara's arms were at Naruto's sides, slammed into the wall. And in those hands, now nailed to the wall, were Hyuuga Hinata and Haruno Sakura. When Naruto had closed his eyes, both girls had jumped in trying to protect Naruto.

---

Gaara could clearly see everything that had happened. Just before he could kill his prey, those two girls jumped in. normally Gaara wouldn't have cared and simply gone for his prey before killing them. But there was something different about this situation. There eyes. It were the same eyes that the teacher of his opponent in the preliminaries had. The eyes that Gaara hated the most, that scared him because he could not understand what they meant.

So instead, he changed the direction of his attack and instead had the girls slammed into the walls. Looking back at his prey, he could see the blond switching his gaze between both girls.

"These two," Gaara started, drawing Naruto's attention again, "What are they to you?" he asked

And just as suddenly, he could see a small bit of fire burning in the eyes of his opponents as he answered.

"They're my friends!" Naruto shouted.

The fire in his eyes was small, but at least it was there. Gaara had found the way for this enemy to really make him feel alive!

"Don't you dare hurt them! I'll kick your ass if you do!" Naruto yelled. Gaara responded by pushing a bit more, causing both girls to scream out loud in pain.

"What's wrong?" Gaara taunted. "Weren't you going to kick my ass?"

Not having any more options, Naruto decided on the obvious thing. For the first time since the start of the fight, he took the offensive. Even thought they were still in the middle of the crowd, Naruto charged.

But even with the small amount of courage he had managed to gather suddenly, he was no match for Gaara. In a second, his tail swept Naruto away, causing him to slam into one of the many pillars that stood before the entire crowd. As he slid down from the pillar, sitting down on the ground, he looked at Hinata and Sakura again.

"No." he said, sounding much weaker then he had ever sounded. "I've got to save them."

his voice was little more then a whisper now, but it could still be heard all across the stadium.

Then suddenly something happened that no one had expected. Gaara suddenly laughed out loud, mocking Naruto's words.

"Save them? So you fight for the sake of others? That's why you're so weak!"

Suddenly and slowly, he brought his sand arms back to their previous length. But instead of releasing Hinata and Sakura, the girls were still covered in sand shaped like Gaara's hand. Without even blinking an eye, Gaara continued his talk.

"You don't need a reason to fight. Only the winner can truly feel the value of his existence. Now, forget about your stupid friends and fight only for yourself." He yelled.

Without him even realizing it, Naruto's fist tightened at his side.

"Stupid friends?" he said, his voice shaking with sudden anger.

Not even batting an eyelash at the sudden change in Naruto, Gaara continued again.

"People who bring needless emotions into battle should just die." He said, taunting Naruto some more.

"You just keep saying what you want. I swear, I'll beat you up!" Naruto yelled back, not fazed by the taunt. Moving quickly, he rushed towards Gaara, throwing a few Shuriken at the same time.

"You guys don't know the meaning of being truly strong." Was all Gaara said before he moved in for the counter-attack. Naruto didn't have time to answer as he slammed into Gaara, hitting him for the first time since the fight started. As their eyes locked, Gaara suddenly looked away, giving Naruto the opening he needed. He quickly punched him twice in the stomach, hoping for Gaara to feel the pain. Unfortunately, the sand that had formed around his body was now acting much like the armor of sand, except even thicker. Gaara didn't even feel Naruto's attack. Slamming him with his arms once again, Gaara pushed Naruto back into the arena. Even with the force behind the attack, Naruto managed to lend on his feet in the arena.

"That sand will crush them to a slow death. It's filled with my Chakra and unless I die, they won't be released! NOW COME!" Gaara spoke, still standing in the viewers sitting area. Seeing that Naruto made no attempts to move, he spoke up again.

"You don't care what happens to your precious friends?" from behind him, Naruto could hear Hinata and Sakura suddenly yelling out in pain.

'What can I do?' Naruto thought desperately. 'Unless I kill this guy, Hinata and Sakura-chan are gone. But I can't hope to defeat him, he's too strong! Wait, if I can draw his attention away long enough, I'm sure Kakashi-sensei could get them down safely!'

Looking around in hopes of catching his sensei's eye, he couldn't find the older man. Before he had time to do a complete search though, Gaara jumped into the air, going in for another attack.

As Gaara jumped up, Naruto looked him in the eye. Without even knowing why, he was suddenly reminded about what the sand shinobi had said mere moments before.

"_You guys don't know the meaning of being truly strong."_

At the same time, he also thought back to that time at the flower field in the country of the Wave.

"…_that's when a person becomes truly strong…"_ but it were all the words he could remember.

'That's right. Haku, he told me, what it meant to be strong. But I can't remember. Gaara's right. I don't know the meaning of strength. But until Kakashi-sensei manages to get Hinata and Sakura-chan down, how can I even hope to distract him long enough?' then it hit him like a ton of bricks. The training he had been doing for the last month. It was time to put it to use.

'I'll have to summon the frog-boss.'

Quickly flashing through the seals in the order he had memorized already, he quickly bit the thumb of his right hand for the blood. Slamming his hand down on the ground he yelled the jutsu's name.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

* * *

A/n: as some of you may notice, I am making my Naruto VS Gaara fight very similar to the original in the anime/manga. That is because I think that it is simply one of the best fights to date. The battle itself will have a few changes at the end, but you'll have to wait to find out what they are, but I will say this; the Naruto VS Gaara fight is anything but small (in fact, my Beta claimed that it might just be a little TOO long).

Since they are still in the stadium, and thus are having an official match, I couldn't really put Sasuke to Naruto's rescue like he does in the original but when I was thinking about it, Haku suddenly poof-ed into my head and I decided to go with it.

And as for the most often asked question;

I know that the people wouldn't allow Gaara to go full demon on Sasuke, but he only partially transformed, meaning that Gaara is still in control. And yes, common sense would make people get the hell out of there during a fight, but at the same time people are always drawn to conflict like this, so they all want to stay as well.

Anyways that's enough of my rambling. I would like to thank Zephyr-Tai-Ji for beta-reading this chapter for me. many thanks to him and if you can, you should go and read his stories as well.

As always, reviews are very welcome.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe, otherwise Hinata and Naruto would have gotten together already and Gamakichi would've had WAY more screentime. So i don't own it.

* * *

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" 

As Naruto yelled out his new jutsu's name, all the higher ranked shinobi looked dumbstruck. It was quite common knowledge among the jounins how a summoning technique worked. It required the writing of a contract with the animals you would be summoning as well as a mass of chakra. It was almost unheard of for anything below chuunin to be able to use a technique like that.

But of course that was not what had most adult worried right then. Every single person that knew the truth, whether they knew Naruto in person or they had only heard the rumors about him, was thinking and fearing the same thing.

'Did he make a contract with the foxes?'

---

Meanwhile, back with the Rookie Nine, minus Shino and Naruto of course, Kiba was about to use his claws to cut Hinata and Sakura free from the sand, when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. Looking up at the owner, he was looking in the eye of Hatake Kakashi.

"What're you doing?" the boy yelled. "Now that the sand guy isn't here, we have to get Hinata and Sakura down."

"No." was the simple answer. Before anyone could ask the copy ninja anything else, he quickly raised his hand in the air, a signal to the other shinobi present not to interfere unless ordered by a higher rank, preventing Gaara from getting disqualified even after endangering the audience. Turning around and seeing the shocked faces that all of the shinobi had at him, Hatake Kakashi; the man who treasured teamwork more then anything, suddenly abandoning the two leaf girls, he continued.

"As soon as Naruto saw his two companions, his friends, in danger he was able to fight back. Before that point, he could hardly move. I think that Naruto is capable of defeating Gaara, even as that boy is now. It all depends on whether or not Naruto can remember what his strength is."

"But Kakashi," Gai said, "What if Naruto doesn't remember his strength in time? You'll have condemned 3 shinobi to there deaths."

"No I won't." Kakashi simply said. "I know Sakura and her limits. She can probably last about 3 minutes like that, maybe a little more. Hinata is physically stronger then Sakura so she'll last longer. If Naruto doesn't remember in 3 minutes, I'll take them down from that wall and save Naruto if I have too."

It was at that point that Naruto's voice sounded through the entire stadium, yelling his technique.

'What the?' Kakashi thought. 'Since when can he do a summoning technique? What did Ebisu-sensei teach him in this month? Controlling the Kyuubi's chakra, using summoning, the more I think about it, the less likely it seems for Ebisu-sensei to have taught him something like that. But then, who was it?'

---

As the smoke slowly faded down in the Arena, it showed an orange-red frog, wearing a blue jacket. Just like the Toad-boss. Only it was a hundred times as small.

"Yo!" the little toad exclaimed, raising his arm to Naruto in a greeting.

Seeing the little animal, everyone in the crowd that had feared the appearance of a fox let out a sigh of relief.

'Damn it!' Naruto thought. 'This guy is way too small. He won't be of any use.'

"Haha! This is what you depend on? Pathetic. Now DIE!" Gaara yelled. Raising his arm in front of him and quickly swimming it forward, he send out a large number of small sand bursts. "Suna Shuriken" he yelled.

'Oh crap.' Acting on instinct, Naruto grabbed the little frog and curled around it, protecting it from the hit.

---

'What the…' Kakashi thought. 'I expected a lot of things to appear but not a frog. There's only 1 person that can give the summoning contract for frogs.'

Taking a quick look at Gai gave Kakashi all the info he needed. They were thinking along the same lines.

"It looks like Jiraiya-sama is back." Kakashi said

"Yes. There's no other option. He's the only one who could give the summon contract for the frogs."

"jir-who-ja?" Kiba asked, a confused look on his face.

"Jiraiya-sama." Tenten said, having come over to check up on Lee mere seconds before.

"He's one of the three Legendary Sannin of Konoha." She continued. "He's the master of Toad-like Ninjutsu. But he left the village about a decade or two ago right? Why's he back now?"

"It is true that he left Konoha a long time ago, but he never became a missing-nin. He has simply gone wandering, but never turned his back on Konoha." Kakashi answered. Only in his thoughts did he continue the sentence.

'But, why would a shinobi like him suddenly return and take Naruto under his wing? He hasn't trained anyone since the Fourth.' Kakashi

---

"Why do I have to mess it up now? A frog like this is useless." Naruto thought out loud.

"Hey! I'm not useless!" the frog responded, his pride obviously hurt. "I'll let you know I'm a powerful being, but I'm not experienced enough to fight against something like this yet." as he said the last part, the frog turned his head away, not daring to look at Naruto.

"So, in other words, you're useless." Naruto simply said. The frog turned around to retort when all of a sudden a shout sounded through the stadium again. The frog quickly leaped away from Naruto, trying to move to saver grounds. Naruto instead tried to launch another headfirst attack.

Focusing some Chakra into his legs, Naruto jumped up and quickly flashed through some seals.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" next to him a dozen clones appeared in mid-air, all aiming for the sand-monster that was Gaara.

Gaara responded by taking in a large amount of air, all in one breathe. As he exhaled it, multiple mouths appeared across his body, blowing back the air as Gaara shouted the technique's name.

"Mugen-Sajin Daitoppa!"

"Aargh!"

The force of the technique instantly dispelled all of the clones and send Naruto flying across the stadium once again.

As Naruto was still struggling to get back up, his entire body hurting and shacking, he heard Gaara yell out another technique.

"Suna Shuriken!"

This time, Naruto couldn't even react fast enough to curl himself up to reduce the damage. He took the full brunt of the attack and was slammed back into the walls hard.

'He's… really strong. I can't win against someone like this. But, what is this feeling?' he thought to himself.

'For some reason, I really feel…' through his confusion he looked up to see the figure of his attacker slowly approaching, an eerie grin of bloodlust on his twisted and changed face. Gaara launched yet another volley of Suna Shuriken and again Naruto couldn't defend himself. He had lost count of the amount of times he had been slammed into the walls, but it had really started to hurt. If he had looked back, instead of up, he would also have seen that after the last attack, his body had been sent back with enough force to make a vertical crater in the wall. Instead he still looked at Gaara as he finally discovered what his feeling was.

'I feel like I really don't want to lose to this guy!'

Looked up at Gaara, he saw it again. Up in the sky, behind his opponent, he could see the image of a boy with long black hair, his face hidden behind a mist's ANBU mask. Both his hands filled with Needles as he spoke. But still, Naruto couldn't hear the words.

"Do you" he could remember a part of the question. "something" another part, but he couldn't link it together. ", become truly strong."

'What was it? What did he say to me? And why can't I remember it!?'

Before he even realized what it was he was doing, Naruto drew out a kunai and an explosive tag. He wrapped the tag around the kunai before, for the second time in the entire fight, take the offensive against Gaara. Flashing his hands through the seals, he yelled the name of his favorite technique.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Almost instantly, 4 clones of Naruto appeared at his side, each of them knew the plan and ready to go for it.

---

"It seems like he's finally getting ready to fight." Gai said, standing next to Kakashi. "Are you going to cut those girls down now?"

"No, not yet." Kakashi answered, though he was also worried. "Naruto has decided to fight from the looks of it, but he still hasn't made his mind up. I don't know what's going on in his head, but for some reason he's struggling with himself over something."

"I think I know what it is." Shikamaru suddenly spoke up. He had moved over to watch the fight as well, along with Sasuke and Lee.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, though he didn't turn to remove his eye from the fight.

"Yesterday, after Naruto woke up, he and I were planning to go and see Chouji. Naruto wanted to taunt him a bit but on the way we walked past Lee's room. We noticed Gaara was inside, attempting to kill him so we stepped in. I held Gaara down with Kage mane no Jutsu while we were trying to figure out a way to save Lee. We got Gaara talking and it really messed Naruto up bad. They were both saying some pretty strange things to each other, but it was Gaara's response to Naruto's statement of being undefeatable that shook him up."

"Tell me exactly what they said to each other." Kakashi ordered as he finally looked away from the fight. What Shikamaru just said had gotten his full attention. Just how much did Naruto tell?

"Well, this is really troublesome but I'll try." Shikamaru started, "Gaara first said that he'd kill us, to which Naruto responded by saying, 'you can't defeat me, I've got a real monster sealed inside of me.' after that Gaara retorted by saying that if that was so, they were the same. Naruto started to lose it after Gaara said he always survived on his own. But like I said, it's pretty weird. Why are these guys such troublesome weirdoes?"

"I see." Kakashi said as he turned his head back to the fight, seeing Gaara attack Naruto and his clones. "Thanks for telling me that, it helps clear up a lot."

"Well Kakashi, care to share what you just discovered?" Gai said, irritated that his rival again acted like he had all the answers.

"Well Gai," Kakashi started as Naruto started a number of evasive maneuvers by using the Kage Bunshin. "It's like this. Naruto has always been alone, his entire life. In that regard he's the same as Gaara. But the difference lies in the fact that Naruto has always tried to make others acknowledge him for who he is and eventually made friends, while Gaara always did everything on his own. As someone who understands the pain of being hated and feared for no apparent reason, Naruto knows the pain Gaara went through and probably believes him to be incredibly strong because of that."

---

Down in the ring, Naruto had managed, with the help of some maneuvering in mid-air thanks to his Kage Bunshin, to get behind Gaara, who was still in mid-air after his initial attack. He quickly formed the tiger-seal with his hands, taking the kunai with the explosive tag around it in between his extended fingers.

"Take this! The Taijutsu technique that Kakashi-sensei taught me, Konoha's secret Taijutsu ultimate Technique, 1000Years of Pain!"

He quickly extended his arms, shoving the kunai in the area where, with a normal person, their butt hole would be. Unfortunately, Gaara was no normal person right now so instead the Kunai got stuck in the sand that was still protecting and changing Gaara's body.

While everyone in the audience fell over backwards by the idiot technique, Gaara responded by hitting Naruto in the face with his tail. Hard. Due to the force behind the slam, Naruto went flying across the arena once again.

---

"Kakashi, don't tell me you actually taught him a move like that?" Gai asked his eternal rival. Even he was a bit shocked by the technique and, though he could see that it would really hurt a human enemy, thought it was a weird move.

"No I used it on him during the bell test. I can't believe he actually thought it was a real technique." Kakashi responded, feeling ashamed that Naruto had yelled who showed him the technique.

---

As Naruto was still trough the air, he said a single word. A single word completed his last attack sequence.

"Boom."

"_KABOOM!"_

Suddenly, without any warning, Gaara's body exploded from what looked like the inside. Naruto's plan had succeeded. Gaara had not removed the Kunai that was stuck and now the explosive tag had detonated, causing massive damage.

---

Back up in the stands, everyone was flabbergasted.

'Naruto you really are the number one in surprising people.' Kakashi thought to himself. 'You even manage to turn a joke technique into a deadly weapon.'

---

Even though it was obvious to everyone that Naruto had won the last exchange, when the smoke cleared and both boys were visible again neither of the two was in a good state to continue the fight.

Gaara had crashed into the ground after the explosion and his sand body had well over half of its volume destroyed by the explosion. As it was, had lost his right sand-arm and – tail, as well as having a reduced movement speed.

But on the other side, Naruto had been slammed into the walls again with such force that he had made a crater the dept of his upper leg and had trouble getting back out.

Still, despite being as hurt as he was, Naruto again looked around. The angle he was lying in made it possible for him to see his opponent and he was feeling eerily content about the damage he had conflicted. He may not have been able to win, but he had at least managed to hurt the much stronger sand shinobi. As his gaze went up, he could see Kakashi-sensei standing next to Shikamaru and Fuzzy Brow-sensei. And behind those three he could see _them_.

Hyuuga Hinata and Haruno Sakura, both of them pinned to the wall because of him, slowly being crushed to death. Not even taking time to worry why his sensei hadn't freed them yet, Naruto's thought instead went on a different path.

'Why did they risk there lives to save me?' before he could begin to question it further, he suddenly saw Haku yet again up in the sky, again he was talking. He could suddenly hear the words he said clearly.

"_Because they are strong."_

Suddenly, without even moving his eyes away from the girls, Naruto started seeing events that had happened before, images from his previous missions.

_A large lake in a country far away, covered in an unnatural mist. Sasuke and Naruto felt afraid when suddenly Kakashi-sensei spoke up._

"_Don't worry. I don't let my comrades die."_

'Kakashi-sensei.' Naruto thought as he moved one hand to grab the ledge of the crater.

_As Naruto opened his eyes, he could see Sasuke standing in front of him with Haku down on the floor. Suddenly__, without warning, Sasuke fell backwards. As Naruto grabbed him, he saw all the needles sticking out of his body._

"_Why?!" he shouted._

"_I don't know. My body just moved on it's own."_

'Sasuke.' His other hand had also grabbed the ledge, ready to pull himself out of the hole he was in.

_Showing the area of the chuunin exam's preliminary rounds. As Naruto was standing up in the stands, Hinata was fighting her cousin Neji. Even though she was being beaten up, she stood and suddenly spoke the words that he remembered saying himself__, so long ago._

"_I won't give up. That's my way of the Ninja!"_

'Hinata.' Now he had pulled himself out of he hole, standing in front of it, looking down at the ground.

_Again, showing the area of the preliminaries. Lee standing up, even though he had already passed out._

'Fuzzy brows.'

Still looking down, Naruto suddenly started talking. Though his voice was little more then a whisper, in the silence that had grown across the arena everyone could hear his words clear as day.

"Because he was like me, because he lived feeling the same kind of loneliness that I did, I thought he was strong because he survived that solitude, fighting only for himself."

"_He died trying to protect those he cared for. He was truly a strong shinobi"_

As Naruto started looking up slowly, he continued.

"But I was wrong. His strength isn't real. Strength doesn't come from fighting alone."

_Naruto was sitting in a field full of flowers, next to Haku. He was listening intensely as the girly-looking boy, spoke._

"_Do you have something you want to protect? When a person has something they want to protect regardless whether it's a dream, a person or a place, that's when they become truly strong."_

"For some reason I've been seeing his face throughout this fight, but I didn't know why. I think I understand now. I don't know if he was sending me a message from the next life, or I was simply imagining things, but now I finally remember Haku's words. And I know that real strength isn't what you have when you're fighting for only yourself."

"When you have something special you want to protect!" Naruto shouted.

Clapping his hands together in the seal of the tiger again, he started to gather his chakra. The chakra he was summoning was swirling around him, almost like a great blue aura. Finally, he raised his head up, looking Gaara in the eye and allowing everyone else to see his eyes as well. The fear that had been present a moment before was completely gone and now, only determination and the desire to protect were left.

"Only then can you become truly strong!"

* * *

A/n: I warned you that the fight would be very much the same as the anime/manga didn't I? that fight was close to perfection and I loved it (fav battle so far). after this there will be 1 more quick update (in 2 weeks time) before my school starts again andIi'll try to keep up with the promised 1-update-per-month schedule.

Anyway, the most asked question in the reviews has also been answered in this chappy; Kakashi stopped the other shinobi from interfering in the match.

And I didn't let Naruto summon the foxes simple because I think that Gamakichi is one of the coolest characters in the series so far (along with Gamabunta)

Also, I have written this chapter some time ago and I know that, like all Naruto chappies, Zephyre-Tai-Ji has been a beta for this chapter, but I have 2 more beta's that frequently read my stories and I don't know if I also had them read it or not.

Anyway, please leave a review telling me what you think of it? Flaming is allowed, but will mostly be ignored. Criticism's very welcome to help me improve my writing as always.


	5. Chapter 5

n/a: this chapter is a small celebration to the fact that I've got 15k hits with this story alone. I will also post an update this weekend, as per the schedule.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise and I'm only borrowing them for this story.

* * *

Naruto Arashiodori; chapter 5

As soon as Kakashi saw the way Naruto was trying to pull himself out of the hole, he knew something had changed. The entire fight, Naruto's body had been shaking with fear and doubts but now, as he was having trouble to get his feet on the ground, the shaking was being reduced until it stopped.

"Behold." Kakashi said to Gai and the others, knowing his student well enough to know the change that was coming in this fight. "This fight is only just starting."

Everyone except for Sasuke, who had seen the obnoxious blonde take on Momouchi Zabuza head on, looked at him like Kakashi had grown a second head, until suddenly Naruto spoke up. They immediately noticed his old confidence was back, even stronger then before. And he was speaking softly, only in a whisper to himself, but they could still hear his words clear as day.

"_Because he was like me, because he lived feeling the same kind of loneliness that I did, I thought he was strong because he survived that solitude, fighting only for himself." _

They could all see Naruto's head rising slowly, turning his face towards the sand shinobi.

"_But I was wrong. His strength isn't real. Strength doesn't come from fighting alone. For some reason I've been seeing his face throughout this fight, but I didn't know why. I think I understand now." _

No one, not even his teammates, knew what Naruto was talking about.

"_I don't know if he was sending me a message from the next life, or I was simply imagining things, but now I finally remember Haku's words. And I know that real strength isn't what you have when you're fighting for only yourself."_

'I see,' Kakashi thought. 'So he was thinking about that boy. Not surprising, seeing how Naruto considered him to be so strong.'

"Whatever happens," he said, addressing the rookies and his rival as he turned away himself, "Don't take your eyes of this fight. Because just now the real Naruto woke up. The real fight…"

Kakashi took a small pause as he gathered some chakra into his hands, getting ready to cut through the sand that had the two young kunoichi pinned to the wall.

"_When you have something special you want to protect!"_ Naruto shouted, his hands forming the seal of the tiger, as he gathered al of his chakra. His chakra started to swirl around him.

'Show them Naruto! Show them the meaning of real strength.' In one fluid motion, Kakashi freed both his student and the heir to the Hyuuga clan.

"Begins now." Kakashi finished as he caught the two young girls.

"How can he still have this much chakra left?" one of the genin shouted.

"Is he for real!?"

"_Only then can you become truly strong!"_

---

'Where is this chakra coming from!?' Gaara thought to himself. The last attack had made it impossible for him to move and now, all of a sudden, his enemy had gained a tremendous increase in chakra.

'And those eyes! I hate those eyes!'

"Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto had quickly formed all the seals for his favorite technique and, with his current chakra; an unheard of number of clones appeared, filling up the entire arena.

Everyone in the arena, even Naruto's own team member and teacher (who was still tending to Hinata and Sakura) had never seen this amount of Kage Bunshin, let alone when the technique is used by a genin.

"Get ready!" all the clones shouted at once, making the shout eco throughout the arena, loud enough for half the village to hear.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Are you ready? Because, from this point on, I'm starting the fight!" This time it was only the original that was talking.

Not taking his eyes of Gaara, Naruto raised one hand into the sky, shouting an order for all his clones.

"All right, everyone. LET'S GO!"

A large number of the clones near-instantly jumped up, every one of them reaching different heights, to form something that resembled a large, orange-and-blond sphere. A sphere Gaara could not escape from. Each of them pulled out a few shuriken, ready for throwing them at Gaara, when again they shouted as one.

"Shihōhappō Shuriken no Maki!"

All the clones sent the shuriken flying at the same time, resulting in a black screen of shuriken rapidly closing in on Gaara, an attack that no normal human would have been able to survive.

But Gaara was no normal human. Realizing he could not evade or counter, due to the explosive 1000 years of pain that he had suffered before, he instead raised his arm of sand to protect the weakest parts of his body, letting the sand defend his body.

---

"Amazing!" Lee was truly stunned by the performance that Naruto was putting on. Not only had the blond loudmouth defeated the Hyuuga Neji that he had dreamed of defeating, but now he had instantly turned the tables on Gaara as well. A feat that not even the fabled genius, Uchiha Sasuke, could do.

"Naruto-kun, you truly are amazing!"

'It makes me jealous to see just how strong you are! And you are still called a dropout. When I see you like this, I truly start believing we, as dropouts, can overcome all difficulties. Yes, you have a true fire of youth. You are truly strong!'

"What's going on." Lee's teammate, Tenten, suddenly spoke up. "He's thrown that many shuriken, but only a few have hit. Gaara, as he is now, is a big target. How can he miss like that?"

Looking down again, everyone noticed what she was saying. With all of his clones and the real Naruto still down there as well, over a hundred shuriken had been thrown. Yet Gaara had only been hit by a few, probably not even twenty in total.

"It's because he used the shuriken in the same way all shinobi do." Gai spoke up, looking at Naruto with a newfound respect.

"He used the shuriken to force Gaara into a defensive position, creating a clear opening for a direct attack. That was the real purpose of the shuriken, creating an opening for all the clones to attack."

True to Gai's prediction, all the clones moved in for a massive taijutsu attack.

---

"Let's go!"

Gaara saw what it was Naruto was doing, but he couldn't react to it in time. Five clones, which had not jumped up with the rest, suddenly came into close combat range with a slide, all their weight resting on 1 hand and 1 leg, with the other leg ready for a kick.

"U!"

All five clones kicked him at once, the force behind it enough to send him into the air. As soon as he was in the air, the clones that had jumped the lowest neared him as well, almost as if Naruto had carefully calculated everything.

"ZU!"

They too kicked him, sending him flying even higher. Gaara reached the third level of clones. With each higher push, more clones were around to hit him. And every single hit hurt like hell. This round came in with fists, placed for an uppercut.

"MA!"

All clones hit at once, again sending him flying higher. If he had looked to the side, he would have seen that he was at eye level with the audience, maybe he would even see Hinata and Sakura get up with wide eyes at the sudden turn of the battle.

"KI!"

The next group of clones, again bigger then before, sent him right into the centre of the biggest group of clones, even higher then the seats that were occupied by the kage's. Then, every single clone that he could see came flying to him at once, fist posed for different kind of strikes.

"Naruto Nisen Rendan!"

All of the clones punched at the same time, a combination of rights, lefts, uppercuts, downward punches and everything that would be in between. The combination of punched caused almost all of Gaara's sand to be destroyed by the damage and it, strangely enough, kept him in the place he had been when they attacked.

With all the damage done to his body, from both the 1000 years of pain and the last attack combination, left Gaara completely unable to move his body for a second.

In that one second two more clones, standing on the back of two others to gain additional speed, attacked from above.

"No Maki!"

Without the sand to absorb the damage and the additional speed gained from standing on the back of other clones, the punch did a large amount of damage. The force behind it caused the last of the sand around Gaara's body to be blown away; leaving his torso completely unprotected, and sent him flying straight towards the ground.

A combination of a powerful, speed boosted double-punch along with a fall of well over thirty meters high and the inability to move or guard himself in any way, meant that Gaara would not like his landing at all. In fact, he was sure he was about to know the real meaning of the word pain.

He was right.

As he crashed into the ground, his landing caused a crater of almost a meter deep to appear, not saving him from the damage at all. Instead, the ground caused even more damage to his body. Never before had Gaara felt anything like it. As he was still trying to recover from the damage, with the increased healing ability of the sand-demon, Naruto did not grant him any rest.

"I'm just getting started!" al the clones shouted as the descended in a free fall, intend on gaining as much momentum as possible to maximize the damage they could do.

"This time, I'll use both my legs and I'll get you with a Yonsen Rendan!"

'This guy!' Gaara thought as he saw all the clones approach rapidly.

'Who the hell is he? All of a sudden he pulls some crap like this! And what's with those eyes? I hate those eyes! Those eyes that cry out for others! There's no way I can lose to someone with those eyes!'

"There's no way I can lose to this guy!"

As he shouted out his believes of inability to lose, Gaara forced as much chakra as possible through his body, forcing it to undergo the transformation to full Shukaku form instantly. He knew his body would not be able to last long like that, but he was left with no other alternative.

His opponent was simply too strong, Gaara just couldn't understand where that power came from.

---

As the full-grown version of Shukaku appeared, the transformation itself was enough to dispel all the clones and send Naruto flying across the stadium again. He crashed into one of the pillars that held up the spectator's roof. He flew right through the pillar, instead landing on one of the small stairs that went between the rows of seats. Unknown to him, Hinata's younger sister, Hyuuga Hanabi, was sitting no more then 4 seats back and she had full view of his actions.

'Why does he continue to fight? All he has to do is give up and the jounins in the stadium will make sure that nothing happens to Onee-san, or that pink haired girl. So why does he keep on fighting?' she was completely confused about his motives, but decided not to act, instead seeing what the weird shinobi would do. Normally her father would have said something by now, maybe even interfered because his daughter was in danger, but he had left just after Neji's fight against this same blond.

And even during that fight, Hanabi was left with a question about this weird ninja.

'Why does he keep getting back up?'

---

Meanwhile, Naruto had walked over to the small fence that prevented exited people from falling down to the stand. The people had actually risen from their seats during the fight, gathering around that same fence, but they all parted for him when he approached. Had he looked up at their faces, he would see a mixture of fear for Gaara's new form, excitement from the great fight and, among a few of the people, admiration and sudden respect for Naruto who continued to fight against overwhelming odds.

But Naruto did not look up, instead he only looked at Gaara's new form, looking at it in both fear and wonder.

'That's the monster inside of him?' he questioned himself.

'It's gigantic.'

The large sand demon, filling just less then a quarter of the large stadium, turned around to face his nemesis.

As the giant of sand started raising his hand, Naruto realized that the attack was aimed at him. Intend on protecting the people all around him from Gaara's attack, Naruto quickly leaped forward, over the railing, towards the creature that was well over a hundred times his size.

To the people around, it looked like a heroic, yet suicidal, charge to victory. Everyone, the Rookie Nine included, held their breath as Naruto closed in on the Shukaku. For everyone, it looked like time was moving in slow motion, Naruto approaching the gigantic demon, while the sand was rising underneath him, attempting to grab him.

The sand was quicker to reach Naruto and almost instantly wrapped around him.

---

'This is bad!' Kakashi thought as he saw the form of Gaara's inner demon. 'I already knew that he was a Jinchuuriki, but he also posses one of the tailed demons. I don't know if Naruto is capable of fighting an enemy like that on his own. He doesn't have the same level of control that Gaara does, but there is a possibility that the Kyuubi is forced out.'

"Gai! We'd better prepare for the worst case scenario." He whispered to the man in green, standing next to him, as he raised his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan.

"I know. Let's just hope it doesn't happen!"

"Naruto-kun." Hinata said, breaking the silence of the children. Naruto had been wrapped in sand and Kakashi recognized the stance as the same on that had destroyed Lee's arm and leg. The attack he had tried to use on Sasuke as well, but had been blocked by Naruto. Gaara's instant killing move.

"Sabaku Kyū"

---

"Sabaku Kyū"

'Oh no! I've used all my chakra with those kage bunshin!' Naruto realized too late, already wrapped in the sand. 'I can't do any.'

Before he could even finish his though, an image of Hinata and Sakura, still pinned to the wall by the sand, flashed through his head.

'That's right! I can't give up. If I do, Hinata and Sakura-chan will die! They risked their lives to save mine. Now, I'll risk mine to save them!'

His resolve strengthened even more, Naruto drew out as much chakra as he could. In his drained state, most of the chakra was drawn from the Kyuubi, to prevent him from draining his organs of energy and killing him. He didn't realize it because he didn't think about it, but it caused him to be much stronger then when he was at his limits. He swiped some of the blood that had dripped down from one of his many wounds, of his chin and started forming the seals for the strongest Ninjustu that he knew.

The only Ninjutsu he knew of, that could help him fight Gaara's new form.

"Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji."

While Naruto was busy forming the seals, Gaara decided to finish it.

"This is it for you!" he said. He extended the fingers on his monstrous arm a little, intend on crushing Naruto with the pressure. Following the path of his fingers, the sand loosened the smallest of nanometers.

"Sabaku Sōsō"

But those few nanometers were all the room Naruto needed to unleash his strongest technique.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

* * *

_a/n:_

Now I will respond to the 2 things that stood out most in my reviews, so I can clarify it to everyone without a lot of pm's;

_1: Naruto shouldn't be afraid of Gaara._

A lot of people have claimed in reviews that it's weird for Naruto to be scarred of Gaara, but it is cannon that Naruto is actually scarred of a lot of strong opponents. Zabuza, Orochimaru and Gaara all scarred him. In cannon this is shown by Naruto worrying that Sasuke, who Naruto still looks up to, might not win against Gaara while he has always been assured of his friends strength. Another example is that he orders Sakura and Sasuke to run instead of fighting. I've simply build on this point and shown how that would effect Naruto when he's NOT fighting to protect his friends (in other words, doesn't have a reason to face his fears).

Although I might have increased/exaggerated it a bit, it's still an important part of cannon. Naruto is most definitely not fearless.

2: this is all simply a retelling of the cannon fight.

yes, this is very true and I have warned about this. Up until this point, the story is still a cannon retelling, but the changed area of battle is of great importance later on in the story. I've been using this fight from cannon because it's the perfect example of how Naruto is and how he usually fights when the lives of his friends are at stake.

Now I'll give you guys something to look forward too though; after the jump-and-punch after Gamabunta VS Shukaku there will be a lot of changes.

As a final note I would like to thank my beta Zephyr-Tai-Ji for giving helping me out with this chapter, he's been a real big help. If you can, you should go and read his stories as well.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of the Naruto franchise; in fact I don't own a thing. I only used the awesome characters from the equally awesome manga/anime series to write something I hope will be fun.

**Naruto Arashiodori chapter 6**

* * *

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In mid-air, suspended by the sand-coffin around him, Naruto used his newest and most powerful ninjutsu. Unlike last time he used it, now a large explosion followed the shout, resulting in half of the arena being covered in smoke. Up from his seat next to his old teacher, Orochimaru could not help but be surprised.

'The frogs show that he has been training under that idiot of a Jiraiya, that much was obvious. But it's impossible that he has just summoned a frog that big. Don't tell me he's summoned…' before he could finish his thought, the smoke cleared and revealed Orochimaru's worry to be justified.

"Gamabunta!" the Third Hokage said, surprise clear in his voice.

He had also figured out that Naruto had been training under Jiraiya, he had been speculating it just after Naruto's fight with Neji because no sane Konoha Shinobi would try to teach Naruto to control the Kyuubi. Jiraiya's sanity was always a point of debate and, unlike the villagers; he did not fear nor hate the boy's abilities. He had been proven right when Naruto summoned the small frog, but even he had never imagined that Naruto would have the jutsu down to the point where he could summon the strongest frog possible. A frog he had not seen since the night of the Fourth's death.

---

"What is that thing? It's huge!" Kiba exclaimed, grapping onto the fence in tension. "Better yet, how did it get here? Something like that does not just sneak in unnoticed!"

"Naruto used Kuchiyose no Jutsu." Kakashi said, turning to the group of children. "It is a special A-rank ninjutsu that resolves around the manipulation of time and space. It sounds big, but in effect all you do is call a certain being that you have made a contract with to you, often to help you in a fight. It's a jutsu that some Jounins and most Chuunins can't use, mainly due to its chakra cost. But if a person has enough Chakra, they can call the king of the beings they made a contract with, the strongest of them all. That's what Naruto just did."

Seeing the surprised looks on each of their faces, he almost chuckled. What Naruto had done was extremely impressive, but it was nothing like the bomb he was about to drop on them.

"There's more." He started, enjoying the tension he was creating. "There are many different beings that a shinobi can make a summon contract with, but the most numerous are those with animals and their kings or queens. Among those, three animals have been raised to almost legendary status. Those are the three animals used by the legendary Sannin, who are also the only ones who can give the contract to someone. The slugs, controlled by Tsunade-hime, the snakes controlled by the traitor Orochimaru and finally the frogs that are controlled by Jiraiya-sama. The last time anyone from Konoha has seen the frog king Gamabunta was on the day that the Fourth Hokage fought against the Kyuubi."

"What!"

"No way!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"That means that…"

A variety of reactions arose from the group of children standing with him. Kakashi did not answer, instead turning his gaze back upon the fight that would start in a minute. He could not help but give a small smile behind his mask. The irony of it all left him no choice. 12 years ago, this large frog had been used in the defeat of the monster sealed inside Naruto; the same Naruto who now stood upon its head. And again, it would fight against a tailed demon to protect the village of Konoha.

Next to him, Gai noticed the smile on his rivals face and knew exactly what it was about. He had difficulty keeping a straight face himself.

---

The ring that had been used for the third round of the Chuunin exams was huge, but with both Gamabunta and the full-size version of Shukaku standing in it, only half of the original surface remained, very little room for beings their size to maneuver.

But none of that were on Naruto's mind as he stood atop Gamabunta's head, his hands still in the stance of the jutsu he just used.

"No matter what, I'll defiantly protect everyone!" he yelled out loud. His promise, shouted to no one but himself was heard by everyone and everything in the stadium, leading to a variation of reactions. Some of the teenage girls thought he was a romantic hero, some of the teenage guys thought he was acting far too cool, the elder villagers were surprised by his determination, the Kyuubi haters were convinced he was only trying to get others to like him before he brutally killed his opponent and then went on with his mockery of the Fourth and, finally, his friends were surprised he hadn't noticed that Hinata and Sakura were no longer pinned to the wall.

The giant frog he was standing on reacted as well, although in a way no one, except maybe the Third, had expected. As the king of all frogs looked up to see who was standing on his head, expecting an explanation, Naruto's old confidence came back to him.

"Alright! The results of my training finally show! Now we're talk-"

"**You again!**" the frog interrupted, sounding annoyed. "**What's with you? Whatta ya want?**"

Before Naruto could answer, Gaara, in his full Shukaku form, moved his tail, earning him Gamabunta's attention.

'**If I remember correctly, that's Shukaku of the sands.'** He thought. **'Not an easy opponent, even for someone like me.'**

"Toad-boss!" Naruto exclaimed, addressing Gamabunta by his own version of the frog's title. Please fight with me! I'm counting on yo-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Gamabunta again interrupted him.

"**Hell No!**"

"What!" Naruto exclaimed. "But why?"

"**Last time you said you'd make me you underling. A boss's supposed to help out his underlings in trouble, ain't he? That's the family law. And I know I said I'd make you my underling last time, but we haven't even exchanged drinks to seal the deal, so…"**

He let the rest of the sentence hang in the air, hoping the blonde would understand what he meant. Meanwhile, his thoughts were on a completely different track.

'**Why should I have to do anything for the sake of this pain in the butt…'**

"No way! I'm not of age yet, I can't drink Sake!" Naruto exclaimed. Suddenly he felt a weight land on his head that spoke up.

"Now don't go saying that." The smaller frog Naruto had summoned before spoke from his new resting place, sitting atop Naruto's head.

"Will you listen to the fellow already? I was saved by this one Pops."

"Huh? Pops? You mean that you're his son?" Naruto's question went unanswered as Gamabunta instead focused his attention on his son.

"**What are you doing here Gamakichi?!**"

"I was bored so I came out to play." The small amphibian answered before pointing his hand towards Gaara. "But more importantly, that guy tried to bully me!"

"**Say what!**" Gamabunta exclaimed, his voice hard enough for half the stadium to flinch.

"But this guy here saved me. He's pretty interesting!" Gamakichi continued.

"**Tell you what kid.**" Gamabunta exclaimed as he drew his dagger. "**I'll recognize you as my underling. And I'll show you all about the Family Law!**"

"**And as for you!**" he continued, pointing his dagger and the sand monster. "**It's payback time bastard!**"

Gamabunta crouched as much as he could for a frog, ready to launch at his opponent.

"**Hold on tight now!**" he yelled before pushing of. Naruto only barely had time to gather some chakra into his feet to prevent himself from being blown away with the speed Gamabunta pushed of.

Because the small space of the arena, Gamabunta was upon his opponent instantly and with a quick movement slashed his dagger upward. His sword cut through the monster's right arm, put the resistance of its skin prevented Gamabunta from keeping his blade in hand. The amount of force he had been forced to put behind it made the blade fly away at the same time as Gaara's arm. The large sand-arm flew into a wall, its mass and force enough to make the entire wall crumble down, opening the arena. Meanwhile, Gamabunta's dagger was sent flying and crashed right into the building that previously all the participators of the third exam were standing. It cut through the building with ease, its hilt still sticking out of the roof.

It was only because Shino had joined his teammates after Sasuke's fight that he had survived. Kankuro and Temari had been equally lucky because they had gone to speak with their sensei when the plan wasn't executed as they thought it would be. Nevertheless, the force of two giant beings, each weighing a few thousand kilograms at the least, clashing and landing on the ground was enough to knock every single person in the stadium back. Even the Hokage and Kazekage were pushed back by the sheer force of the exchange.

'Awesome.' The single word was all Naruto could think of to describe the fight. He noticed the amount of collateral damage done after just one attack and quickly issued a warning to his giant ally.

"He's toad-boss. Sakura-chan, Hinata and the others are over that way!" he yelled, pointing in the general direction of the crowd. "Don't go there. Lure him here would you!"

"**Sakura-chan? Hinata?**" the giant toad asked, unfamiliar with the names.

"They're his friends Pops." Gamakichi quickly explained to his father.

"We have to defeat him; otherwise we can't save Sakura-chan and Hinata!"

With some difficulty, Gamabunta could look up to see Naruto's face. He was looking at Gaara with the same determination that he gained after remembering what strength was. When he saw the look on his face, realizing he wouldn't back down no matter what, even the mighty toad boss was impressed. He couldn't help but grin as he realized that all three of the humans he had accepted as underlings in the last few decennia were so similar to each other. And, in a way, very similar to himself.

"You're fun! Uzumaki Naruto!" the giant abomination of sand suddenly spoke up. As he spoke, Gaara's body suddenly appeared on top of the sand monster's head. As he looked up, he clenched his hands in the seal of the tiger, indicating that he was going to use some kind of ninjutsu.

---

"Oh no!" Temari exclaimed. She, like everyone else in the stadium, had been pulled into this fight as soon as Gaara had pinned those two kunoichi to the wall. She had never before seen anyone fight the way this Uzumaki Naruto did and she had never, ever seen Gaara get pushed as much as he was being pushed today.

'What's with these Konoha Shinobi?' she thought. 'Never before has anyone been able to bypass Gaara's defenses, but in a month's time, he has been hurt by an enemy attack, made to bleed for the first time in his live and now he's being forced to use that jutsu. If those three are any indication of what all the leaf shinobi are capable of, we won't stand a chance even if we join up with the hidden sound!'

A look at her younger brother Kankuro showed her that his mind was working on a similar path. And why on earth didn't they start the plan already? With each passing moment, Temari became more nervous. Something was going on here, she was sure of it.

Suddenly she heard Gaara's voice throughout the entire stadium, using the one jutsu she had feared more then anything else in the world.

"Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu"

---

As he yelled the jutsu's name, Gaara's entire body fell over indicating he had fallen asleep. Almost instantly, the body of sand stretched out as its eyes faded back a bit before coming back in a completely different style. His eyes didn't show the loneliness that Gaara's had shown, not the determination of Naruto's eyes or even the mad bloodlust of the Kyuubi's eyes. Instead, it just showed madness. Utter and sheer insanity.

"_HAHAHAHA! I'm out! I'm finally out!_" even its voice was dripping with insanity.

"_Yahoo!!! And there's someone I wanna kill right away too!_"

"That's Shukaku?" Naruto asked, completely bewildered.

Shukaku raised its only hand above its head as its belly suddenly grew while it was inhaling gallons and gallons of air. As its hand came rushing down, intend of smashing into Shukaku's belly, Gamabunta realized what was going on.

"**We're going to jump!**" He warned as he pushed off. Again Naruto barely had enough time to stick to the toad.

"_Fūton: Renkūdan_" Shukaku exclaimed as its hand slammed into its belly. The result was that all the air he had breathed in, mixed with his chakra, came shooting out at a tremendous speed.

Even with Gamabunta's jumping power, he had only barely evaded the attack. It instead slammed into the wall behind him, flattening that as well. The explosion caused by the contact between the solid wall and the powerful ball of chakra, blasted away a large part of the forest and the road that led up the Arena. As another result there were now two major holes in the walls of the arena, only one part remaining. That part that had been split in two by Gamabunta's dagger.

As he was traveling through the air, Gamabunta used his forepaws to form the seal of the tiger as well, focusing a large amount of charka into his mouth.

"_I can see you! __Renkūdan_!" Shukaku exclaimed, turning around and firing his signature move again.

"**Suiton: Teppo Dama!**" The equally large toad answered. A large ball of water shout out of its mouth, meeting with the ball of condensed air halfway.

---

As the two large balls, one of wind and the other of water, crashed into each other Sasuke realized something.

'This fight is incredible! It's more like a storm then a fight. Naruto, just how strong ARE you?'

"Amazing." Ino said, looking at the fight with admiration.

"Indeed." A soft voice spoke up from behind them. Lee recognized the voice and turned around to see his own rival, Hyuuga Neji, standing there, his eyes focused on the fight.

"I can't believe he was holding back this much against me. I'm amazed at just how strong this person is." The Hyuuga said, earning him a few strange looks from the rookies.

---

"It didn't work!" Naruto stated the obvious

"**I know!**" the annoyed answer from the giant toad came.

Before Shukaku could aim another attack, Gamabunta instantly pushed of and turned in mid air. Shukaku turned towards him again and there voices sounded throughout the arena once again.

"**Teppo Dama!**"

"_Renkūdan!_"

This time, Gamabunta and Shukaku both shot out multiple orbs, hoping to get past the other's attack. However, Shukaku had shot one more attack, resulting in him gaining revenge for his arm. The orb crashed into the mighty toad, the power of it causing him to fall on back to the ground, covered in smoke.

"_Hell yeah! I did it! He's dead! I killed him! I killed him!_" Shukaku shouted in glee, his voice sounding throughout the entire village of Konoha. He had even started swinging his arm and body around in some mad parody of a victory dance, before Gamabunta's voice was heard again.

"**He asshole! You pumped so much chakra into that attack that it hurt as hell!**" the toad yelled in anger as he charged out of the smoke. He turned his attention to Naruto instead, explaining his battle plan to him. With his size and voice, it would have been useless to try and surprise his opponents anyway, but Gamabunta didn't care about that at all.

"**Even I can't take too many of those! So instead, we're going to have to get Shukaku out of the fight right now!**"

"What are we going to do?" Naruto asked.

"**We'll get close to this asshole and stop him in his tracks. We'll do it while his guard is down.**"

"I'm asking you, what are we going to do?"

"**I'm a toad, so I have no fangs or claws or anything, meaning I can't hold him down so we're going to use Henge no Jutsu into something that does have them. That's where I'm going to need your help. I can't use Henge so you're going to use a combination-henge for both of us. I'll lend you my chakra, 'cause you're probably out after summoning Me.**" even in his entire explanation, he never stopped rushing forward. Shukaku was standing just outside of the walls, through the hole that his arm had made after being severed. Gamabunta, on the other hand, had been blasted back through the other whole in the wall, causing for quite some distance between the two titans.

"Huh?" came Naruto's response. "I'm going to change us into something with fangs and claws? Let me think for a second."

"**Here we go!**" Gamabunta gave no heed to his underling's request and closed the remaining distance.

"Huh, wait a second!" as he was having trouble thinking up an animal, he again saw Haku before him. The image caused him to remember how he had defeated the ice-user. That memory made him think of the perfect animal to transform Gamabunta into.

"HENGE NO JUTSU!" Naruto shouted, wrapping both himself and Gamabunta in a think veil of smoke. And the new form of Gamabunta and Naruto that came rushing out of the smoke and grabbing onto Shukaku, was the form that had haunted many good night rests for the elderly of Konoha, the very image that had caused Naruto to be hated, the image of the being that killed the fourth Hokage.

Gamabunta had been transformed into a giant fox.

* * *

a/n: this is the actually update for this period of 2 weeks, the last one was a special anniversary one. when I hit 50K I'll do another special release for you all.

And on another note; this will be the last of the quick releases (by my standards anyway) for a long time. After this chapter I'll try to keep updates up once a month, since school is starting again next week.

As always, reviews are welcome and improvement points are welcome.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise because if I did, Naruto and Hinata would have been together and the Naruto VS Gaara battle would be even cooler.

Gasps filled the arena as the newly formed giant fox closed the distance to the sand-monstrosities in a few steps, holding it down with his claws and biting on it with its fangs.

"Is that a fox?" Sasuke asked, stunned like everyone else by the sheer magnitude of the fight.

"Yeah it is." Kakashi answered. 'Why did he have to choose a fox of all things? Although I have to admit that it does well to portray the irony of this situation.'

"Amazing Naruto-kun!" Lee exclaimed, a sound of rivaling envy clear in his voice. "To be able to use Ninjutsu like that. This is truly a fight that will show the power of youth! I'm truly envious of you. My only wish now is that you and I could have a fight sometime."

---

"**Do it now!**" the giant voice of Gamabunta yelled through the arena, startling all. Even through the Henge, his voice had remained unchanged.

The giant fox turned into a large cloud of smoke again when, suddenly, a small streak of smoke turned upwards, as if a projectile had been thrown. The smoke cleared and everyone could clearly see Uzumaki Naruto, suspended in mid-air, flying well above the two giants that had been fighting, hovering almost 200 meters above the floor for an instant before beginning a rapid descent aimed towards Shukaku's head and Gaara's body.

"Don't tell me he's going to attack like that!" Kiba suddenly yelled. "If he misses, he'll be crushed when he crashes to the floor."

"He won't miss." Kakashi said, confidence clear in his voice.

"How can you be so sure!?" Ino yelled before Kiba could say react to the Jounin's confidence. "This is Naruto we're talking about here; he can mess up getting dressed!"

"Because this time, Naruto can't afford to lose. he doesn't know that you two are save already." He answered, pointing towards Hinata and Sakura. "So in his mind, if he loses you two will die. When Naruto has that kind of motivation he won't fail."

At his words, everyone except for Sasuke and Sakura were surprised. They had seen how different Naruto had suddenly become when Hinata and Sakura had been in danger, but would it be enough to Help Naruto win against this monstrous opponent?

Only time would tell, but silently each of those eleven Konoha Shinobi that had made it past the first two exams together, were silently rooting and praying for the twelfth to emerge victorious.

---

"HE YOU! TIME TO WAKE UP!" Naruto shouted as he finished his free fall with a fist to Gaara's face.

The impact was strong enough to send the younger boy flying backwards, even though he was held solidly by the sand. Mimicking the movement of its host, the sand body also swung backward in pain.

"_Shit_!" the voice of Shukaku sounded through the stadium, although it was fading quickly. "_I only just came out and now this is happening! Shit, shit shit shi…_"

And with that the voice of a mad demon faded and Gaara opened his eyes again, on the head of the body of sand.

Looking back, Naruto saw the wall behind Gamabunta was still approaching them. 'The toad-boss is still being pushed back? Then I got to take out Gaara now. It's my only chance.'

Naruto rushed forward, his eyes never leaving his goal, when suddenly the ground underneath him gave in. 'what the? What's this?' looking down, he was given his answer. 'Quicksand! Oh no.'

As he looked up, he saw more strings of sand suddenly approach, most likely intend on sealing him in sand again.

'Damn I can't dodge them like this!' Naruto thought, desperation clear in his voice.

"Pops!" Gamakichi's voice sounded suddenly, alerting Gamabunta to what was going on with Naruto. Mere second before the sand could wrap itself around Naruto to crush him. A thick wall sprang up around him, protecting him from it. Looking at it, Naruto realized it was Gamabunta's tongue.

"Don't underestimate me!" Gaara shouted, still covered from the waist down in sand.

Looking down, the sand Naruto had sunk in started to climb up slowly. Gamabunta withdrew his tongue back into his mouth, focusing on Holding the sand body in place instead.

'**This guy is insanely strong! Even like this I'm being pushed back. And Naruto and I are both out of Chakra. We're in trouble.**' Gamabunta didn't have any ideas for the situation for the first time in well over forty years.

Even Naruto's mind was racing to come up with a solution, trying to think of a way to get out of the sand and finish the fight. turning his head, looking for a solution, he saw it on the left of him. The stands where Hinata and Sakura-chan had been pinned to the wall. The angle made it impossible for him to see the crowd itself, but he could picture it perfectly. The image of those two girls pinned to the wall, gave Naruto the determination he needed. Turning his head back to Gaara, he heard the other speak up.

"You will be killed by me. my existence will continue!'

'Unless I stop Gaara completely it won't mean anything. So that leaves me with only 1 option.'

Clapping his hands together to guide his chakra, he made an inner plea, known only to him and the other inhabitant of his body.

'Please, I only need a little bit. Give me enough, so I can protect everyone! Give me your chakra!' suddenly Naruto felt the rush of his chakra coils being filled with chakra once more, a chakra far more powerful then normal. It made the power he had felt when he fought Neji feel like nothing.

---

Although the angle made it impossible for Naruto to see them, the crowd could see the fight that was going on atop the head of Shukaku's body just fine. They could see Naruto bend his head towards them, and suddenly gaining his determination once again. They could all see him clap his hands together, his eyes closed in focus. And then something happened they had certainly not anticipated.

Red chakra suddenly exploded from Naruto's body, the sudden release blowing away his forehead protector and destroying the zipper on his jacket, causing it to open suddenly and flow in the wind.

As he stood there, Gamabunta at his back, chakra coming from his body like flames with his arms lowered at his side and a look of determination on his face, Ino couldn't help but suddenly speak up.

"He looks pretty cool like that."

Behind them, the group could hear multiple voices, mostly females of their age, say something similar.

'What's going on here?' Sakura thought. 'Naruto fights one big fight and all of a sudden everyone thinks he's cool and great and everything?'

Down in the arena two cries were heard simultaneously as the two shinobi charged for their final attacks.

"DIE!!!"

"Let's go asshole!"

---

With those two shouts, Naruto and Gaara attacked with the last of their chakra, Naruto rushing towards Gaara at full speed, jumping to ad power to his punch, and Gaara shooting sand at him in an attempt to hold him down. Neither attack achieved it's full success. Naruto had evaded most of the sand when he jumped, but it had still grabbed him at his limbs, holding him in mid-air. Desperate to hit Gaara and save his friends, Naruto quickly gave Gaara a head-but. His body still infused with Kyuubi's chakra made the simple maneuver more powerful then it would have been normally and without Gaara's armor of sand, it was enough to damage Gaara's brains almost directly, messing up his chakra control. That one instant where it was gone, caused the giant sand body to suddenly crack as well, being reduced to normal sand as it fell down to cover the arena.

Too tired to move and his muscle's feeling all the strain, Naruto couldn't do anything as he fell down when Shukaku's body disappeared. Seeing his job done, Gamabunta had no choice but to go back to his own world, he didn't have enough chakra left to stay behind.

"**Gamakichi! We're going home.**" He announced to his son, sitting on his head save and sound.

"Sure thing pops." Came the response.

When Gamabunta poof-ed away, Naruto and Gaara were both till falling down, just a little higher then the roofs covering the crowd from rain normally. Today the roofs had also served to protect them from powerful water and wind elemental Ninjutsu's. When Gamabunta teleported back to his own dimension, the resulting explosion caused Naruto and Gaara to be blown away, each of them landing mere inches away from Gamabunta's blade, standing atop the hall that they had once stood on, waiting for there matches to begin. Looking at each other, they both breathed hard. They were both at their limit, having no more chakra left.

"After all this, I feel really empty, completely exhausted. You too right? I'll probably be at my limit with this final attack." Naruto said, gaining the attention of Gaara and the entire crowd again.

"You and me, we're the same. So let's end this, with one final attack."

They both stood up slowly, nodding towards each other. There eyes were locked, neither looking back. Loneliness and solitude looked into warmth and determination. There bodies tensed up, preparing for the signal to go.

Suddenly Gamabunta's dagger poof-ed away, following its owner. The instance it happened, both boys jumped, aiming towards each other. Before anyone could really see what was going on, the two connected, Naruto's fist the first one to strike its mark. As they saw Gaara's body fly through the arena, falling the last few meters down to the ground, almost everyone that lived in Konoha let out a breath they didn't realize they had been holding.

---

Sakura and the others were still looking worried their concern obvious for the wellbeing of Naruto. Even Sasuke's eyes were searching through the smoke feverishly to try and find a mark of his teammate. Neji was the first one to find him, even without using his Byakugan.

"There!" the young Hyuuga almost yelled, his voice near ecstatic, as he pointed to a second small line of smoke.

As one all the heads of the remaining ten children and 2 adults turned to the area he was pointing at. They saw it now too, a small line of smoke descending from the large cloud, meaning a weight was falling down there. Before they could move to catch him, Naruto crashed to the ground as well, not even twenty meters away from his nemesis. Neither boy had made a move to catch themselves from the fall, but every single person in the stadium knew why.

They had both reached there limits and then went even further. Their bodies just couldn't move anymore out of sheer exhaustion.

---

'What!' Gaara thought. 'This can't be happening. What am I feeling? Is this really all pain? How can someone feel so much pain at once? And… and what is this darkness that I keep seeing. It… it almost feels like the Tanukineru no Jutsu."

Never having been in such pain before, Gaara was confused as to what was going on. Trying to move around, his head fell to the side. From the side he could see something that he would forever remember as one of the most scary things he had ever seen.

'That's impossible. I hit him far more then he hit me, his body must be in much more pain. SO WHY CAN HE STILL MOVE!!!'

Over at his side, Naruto was doing slowly, inch by inch, dragging himself forward on the ground. His legs were burning too much and he was sure they couldn't move. His arms felt like lead weight and he couldn't lift himself up. But still he moved forward, inch by inch, dragging himself by his shoulders and chin. All with one goal in mind.

'I have to protect Sakura-chan and Hinata. I have to save them!'

It made Gaara all the more confused that his opponent, who was so weak compared to him, could still move while he himself could not.

'Why? Why can he still move? How can he drag himself over here?'

"My existence won't be erased." Gaara whispered to himself, almost as if trying to reassure himself of it.

"It won't be put out! I won't let it be erased!"

Not able to move his head away, Gaara had not choice but to watch Naruto drag himself ever closer. As Naruto was dragging himself forward with everything his body could give, he suddenly heard Gaara's words from yesterday, when they had met in the hospital.

"_To them I am a relic of the past, a mistake they made and want to erase. Then, for what reason do I exist and am I alive?"_

And again, Naruto could hear Haku's words like he had been hearing the entire fight, but this time his words were different and his voice was sad.

"_I thought about myself like this… no I had to think that… and I learned that the most painful thing… is that I'm not needed in this world."_

With every inch that Naruto moved closer, Gaara's fear increased, until suddenly he couldn't hold it back anymore.

"DON'T COME CLOSSER!" Gaara suddenly yelled, his fear taking over his body and mind. And the darkness grew ever closer. "Don't come closer!" Gaara repeated himself, much softer.

But Naruto paid his words no mind and continued to drag himself forward as the entire stadium held their breath. Then, when he was close enough to Gaara that he could hear him, Naruto suddenly spoke up as he slowly raised his face.

"The pain of being totally alone isn't something of this world, is it?" when Naruto had finally managed to raise his face, his eyes shocked Gaara more then anything in the world had ever done. Instead of the cold hatred or hard anger he had always seen and was expecting to see, Naruto's eyes were filled with something Gaara had never seen towards him before.

Compassion.

"I can understand your feelings, somehow." Naruto continued. "It's like my pain. But I've got people that are important to me now. I won't let you hurt the people I care about. Or else, even by killing you, I'll stop you!" as he said the last part, Gaara saw strength return to his eyes once again and his pupils suddenly looked like splits, as if he was looking at an animal's eyes. When he saw those eyes, so misshapen for human eyes, Gaara realized what Naruto was talking about when he said they were the same. Both of them had a monster inside of them and, most likely, their pasts would be similar. But then why?

"Why? Why do you do this for others?" Gaara asked confusion obvious in his voice.

"Because they rescued me from the hell of being alone. They recognized my existence. That's why they are all the most important."

As Naruto said those words, Gaara suddenly remembered other words that he had heard so long ago.

"_Needing those close to you. An affectionate heart that gives all of itself for those important people and is watching over them."_

With a shock, Gaara suddenly realized why it was Naruto was so strong.

'Love. That's why he's so strong.'

'He really did become this strong just for the sake of others. I was wrong. Compared to him, who fights for the sake of others, I am weak after all. That is why everything keeps getting darker.

---

Up in the stands, Temari, Kankuro and Baki had been through a series of things that they would have never expected to happen. Gaara had been defeated, brought up to the point where he could not move his body, and then suddenly Gaara had started shouting in fear of his opponent. And his opponent had simply raised his head and talked to him. Everyone in the stadium had heard the words that were exchanged, but the three Suna shinobi saw the change it gave on Gaara's face. Before they could even begin to identify what the change would mean, Baki shot up and yelled.

"Shit! He's going to pass out!"

"What!" Kankuro yelled. Looking down, they saw it. Gaara's eyes were closing as his head was falling to the side.

'Oh no. if Shukaku comes out when Gaara's asleep, he'll also come out when he passes out.'

Gaara's eyes fell shut as his head fell to the side, motionless. He stayed laying there for a second, before suddenly his eyes shot open with a look of madness and a mad grin spread on his face. As he spoke up, everyone in the stadium recognized the voice they heard, even though it was not from the sand boy.

"_HAHAHA! I'm back again! And now I'll kill you after all!"_

Suna no Shukaku had been reawakened.

A/n:

And at last we arrive at the new part of the battle; this is where the cannon fight ends.

Now I'll answer two questions that I saw in reviews.

In the chappy 5 reviews, Mortalone suggested to explain the difference between fearlessness and bravery. I didn't answer it with chappy 6 because I was still thinking about the difference myself. This is what I believe is the difference between them (no dictionary or anything used):

Bravery, or courage, means you have fears, but if you have to, you'll do what you have to do, even if it means facing your fears. And Naruto falls into this category, remember he has shown fear on multiple occasions and always rises up against them.

Fearlessness means that you have no fears, and thus you can't ever face them.

One who is fearless can not be brave; one who is brave can not be fearless. Only cowards can be brave, because they have fears to face. Only those with courage can be cowards, because they can act on fears.

(and yes, I made that bad line up myself, laugh at me all you like. I know I did.)

Now another question that was good was the one asked by Boejangles;

_Wouldn't people in the crowd be dying if sections of the wall were being blown away?_

If you look at the arena for the chuunin exams, only a small part (maybe 1/4th of the whole ring wall) actually has stands on it. Gamabunta and Shukaku have been blowing up parts of the remaining 3/4th, which also holds the fighter preparation area (where all the participants were standing before).


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto related. If I did, Sasuke would have gotten his ass handed to him and Hinata would have a lot more screen time. So I don't own it.

a/n: another release before the time-limit has passed, a special for this story having passed the 50k hits mark.

Anyway, now that I'm done bragging, I give you:

Chapter 8

* * *

"_HAHAHA! I'm back again! And now I'll kill you after all!"_

"What's going on here? Didn't he just pass out? And why's his voice like that all of a sudden!" Ino yelled at the others.

"Didn't you listen?" Sakura answered her voice a combination of fear, worry and annoyance. "That big frog said that Shukaku would come out if Gaara was asleep. The same will probably hold true for when Gaara gets knocked out."

"Yea it seems so." Kakashi confirmed. 'He is truly a powerful weapon then. If he is near defeat and passes out like most humans, he'll become even more powerful. The Sand knew what they were doing when they made him a jinchuuriki.'

---

"Shukaku!? Why are you out again? What happened to Gaara?" Naruto asked as Shukaku tried to stand up in Gaara's body, only to fall down again.

"_Damn weakling humans! Don't hold me back like this!_" Shukaku yelled as he began to force more chakra through Gaara's body. All the sand around him began swirling up again as proof, while Shukaku could slowly start getting back up. "_This pathetic body will MOVE!_"

The sand maelstrom devoured Gaara's body for a second before being blasted away. The chakra that was flowing through his body obvious for everyone to see, almost like a brown version of Naruto's chakra flames, Shukaku flexed his arms for a bit before laughing like a madman.

"_Hahaha see! Now that this wimp's body is taken care of, let's move on to more important business. Killing you!_" as he said the last part, Shukaku pointed a finger towards Naruto's body as he slowly started walking towards it.

"Bastard! Let Gaara go! If you push his body like that, it'll kill him." Naruto said, vainly trying to get back up as well.

"_Like I care what'll happen to this pathetic human!_" as he reached Naruto, Shukaku gave a kick to the side, rolling him over. Naruto flinched in pain, closing his eyes suddenly, his face set in a grim determination again.

"_Don't die just yet. I'll make you scream first for locking me back up so soon!_" Shukaku's voice was near ecstatic as he raised one foot and slammed it down on Naruto's throat. As Naruto was moving underneath his foot, his grin only kept increasing and he only kept upping the pressure he was giving.

"_Come on asshole! SCREAM!_"

---

"Kakashi, you have to do something. He's killing Naruto!" Sasuke was the first one to find his voice again, everyone shocked by the show of brutality Shukaku was displaying. Kakashi moved to pull his forehead protector up, revealing his Sharingan, when suddenly the arena below was died in a massive red. The sudden burst of light was enough to temporary blind everyone in the arena, Ninja or not, but everyone heard what happened next.

Naruto's voice, in a strange mutation of itself, sounded throughout the entire arena. But unlike usual, his tone was heavy and enough to make every sane person in the area feel scared. It was nothing like Naruto's normal and hyperactive voice, instead it sounded almost as if…

Almost as if two persons were talking at the same time.

"_**You want to hear yelling? THEN GET READY TO HEAR YOUR OWN SCREAMS BITCH!"**_

---

"_What the!_" Shukaku was not allowed to finish his sentence before he was blown away by Naruto. The instant the sand demon had raised his foot, preparing to slam it down and crush Naruto's windpipe, the blonde's body nearly exploded with Chakra, enough to fill the entire arena up and blind everyone for a second, even Shukaku. Because of that, he could not see Naruto stand up, or the transformation his face had undergone. And he certainly couldn't see the fist that had met his jaw, causing him to fly upwards.

Naruto suddenly let out a loud, almost feral, roar when everyone recovered from the second that they had been blinded. They either saw Gaara's body, still being possessed by Shukaku, flying at an insane height or Naruto standing down in the arena letting out his giant roar. While Shukaku was pumping some more chakra to Gaara's face in order to ensure he could still move, Naruto was having an inner dialogue with his sudden 'savior'.

'Why did you suddenly do that?' Naruto asked.

'_**Be quite kid. If I hadn't interfered when I did you would have died. And if you die, so do I. it's the only reason I even let you use my chakra, so I can stay alive.'**_

'But how did you take over my body?' Naruto was getting worried. Everyone would have seen that small instance that he had lost control and he was sure it would not end pretty.

'_**I can tell you exactly why I could save you but can't control you, but with your brains you wouldn't understand. It comes down to this; because my seal is different from Shukaku's I can't control your body, but you can use my chakra. But there's a fail save to ensure we both stay alive as long as needed. I can control the chakra I give out to your body for a bit, so if you're not conscious or are in extreme danger, I can move your body for a short time. Understand?'**_

'I guess. So you can't control me as long as I'm conscious and not in any big trouble. That's reassuring to know.' Naruto gave a sigh. He couldn't be taken over by the fox after all. Then his mind set back on the problems he was currently having in the real world.

'Oh yeah! Hey fox, give me as much power as you can!'

'_**What?**_' the giant fox said, his voice giving away his surprise at the statement.

'I need to fight a bit longer against Shukaku to save everyone, but my body can't move on its own. I'll need your chakra so I can move and I need to be as strong as possible, so give me all the power you can.'

'_**Fine kid. Just make sure you don't die from your own actions then. You humans are so weak after all.**_'

Before Naruto could give a smart answer, his body was again wrapped in red charka, much like a few days before when he had first met the fox face-to-face. But this time, he felt much more powerful. He could feel the demon fox's chakra coursing through his body, restoring some energy to his muscle's and increasing the strength of everything in his body, from his fingers till his toes, his heart and even his brains were no exception. He could even feel the changes occur in his body, slight as they were.

When Naruto opened his eyes, he was almost stunned by what he was seeing. Everything he saw was much brighter then before and he could see much better. He could see the hairstyle from every single person in the crowd in detail, he could see every hair on Gaara's body and he could simply see much further then before. Looking at his hands and feet, he saw the way his nails had grown to form a sort of claws out of his feet. Even through his shoes, he could feel every single grain of sand move underneath his feet; he could feel the direction of the wind by the hairs on his skin. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the different scents everyone in the immediate area was giving of. He could smell the fear everyone had been experiencing, the anticipation they had and even that at least one person in the stadium had wet himself at one point.

'Wow.' He thought, trying to understand his new perceptive abilities. 'This feels weird. My senses are improved beyond believe.' Again he took a beep breath, smelling everything around him again, before turning his attention towards Shukaku who was still flying in the sky above him.

'Now that I'm ready,' he thought to himself, "LET'S GET STARTED!"

As soon as he finished yelling, Naruto pushed of. With Kyuubi's chakra the only thing in his circulation system, the force of the push-off was much greater then normal, causing the sand around him to be blown away as he closed the distance with Gaara's body in less then a second.

"Gwaargh!" again Naruto let out a feral roar as he send his punch to his opponent. Not assuming Naruto's strength to be as high as it was, Shukaku couldn't defend from the punch as it send him crashing into one of the stadium walls, hard enough to create a crater he was stuck in.

In response, Shukaku raises his arms, his palms going for the sky. At the silent command, a pillar of sand shot up from the arena and slammed straight into Naruto, causing him to be pushed up even higher into the sky.

As the pillar fell back to the ground, Naruto came crashing down as well although he was controlling his body's direction, aiming it at Shukaku. The sand demon moved his possessed body away just in time to avoid the wall-shattering punch Naruto had thrown. In response, he punched Naruto in the face. The instant his fist made contact, the sand on his body reformed the monstrous limps that Gaara had wielded no more then twenty minutes ago. The giant arm not only pushed Naruto back upon contact, but it also increased his power beyond. And as soon as he withdrew his fist, the sand arm disappeared and returned to being the Armor of Sand.

Having turned around in mid-air, Naruto landed on with his feet planted on the wall and pushed of to attack Shukaku once again. He landed a few feet before his opponent and, with a short but fast dash, closed the distance to give him a strong right hook. In the same time, Shukaku quickly re-grew his tail for a second and slammed Naruto with it. The tail-slam and right hook caused both fighters to fly across the arena, going straight towards the crowded stands. While Shukaku crashed into one of the pillars, Naruto was send flying into the lower walls, a bit below his opponent and still in front of the crowds.

Always one to get back up quickly, Naruto was the first to recover. With his fist at the ready, he charged at Shukaku again. The red-haired and possessed Sand shinobi could not react in time and was hit full in the chest. The powerful punch caused the entire pillar his body was still resting against to crack and give way, causing him to fly straight through it and into the wall behind the crowd.

"_Damn you! Take this!_" the demon's voice shouted as he stretched both his arms out, re-growing his sand-limbs and slamming them into the blonde, causing him to be pound into the ground.

"Thanks." Naruto responded as he got up. "Now here's my return gift!" with a short dash and a jump, Shukaku's face got intimately familiar with Naruto's knee. As he flew back, he quickly raised his own leg up, again with the sand to increase its power, and slammed Naruto into the ceiling.

---

As the two boys continued their brutal exchange no forty meters away from them, all the remaining Shinobi of the Konoha teams that made it to the finals were getting scared.

"What is this?" A confused Ino said. "They were both out for the count a minute ago, but suddenly they're fighting more intense then ever. And their attacks look like they deal a lot more damage too. What's going on here?"

Kakashi knew he had to give some kind of answer sooner or later, but he couldn't think up a lie that would be believable enough for them to fall for. With a little luck they would be distracted enough by the fight to give him some time to think or even forget the question for now.

"This…"Gai started, his voice in disbelieve at what he was seeing. "This is not a fight. It's nothing more then a slugging match. They give a hit only to receive on in return. They can push past they're limits with their chakra, but sooner or later they're bodies will give in. If this continues, they'll really fight each other to death. There is a limit to how much chakra a body can handle, especially at their age."

True enough, Naruto and Shukaku were indeed continuing the exchange of powerful hits. Naruto slamming his fist into Shukaku's body only to be hit back by the sand. When Naruto rushed back, Shukaku evaded his first attack, and quickly grabbed his arm. Almost instantly, Naruto's left arm was wrapped in sand and dragged its owner after it when Shukaku spun in place. The rotation ended with Naruto slammed into the back wall, only to have the sand relocate to his leg and swing him around once again.

This time, Shukaku wasn't as kind to simply slam him into a wall. With another spin, the sand lasso increased in length and he slammed Naruto through numerous pillars across the entire stand, his head the part to hit and go through the pillars itself.

"That is not good. Even Naruto can't take that kind of damage without it really affecting him." Sakura said.

"Everyone down!" Kakashi and Gai yelled at the same time. Gai quickly grabbed Lee and covered him with his body while all the other shinobi crouched themselves as Naruto flew over their heads and slammed into the wall right behind them, his head aimed at the ground.

"Naruto?" Sasuke slowly spoke a second later, as Naruto's body dropped down from the wall, not making a single move as it lay in the unnatural position.

"_Hahaha! See! You humans are all so weak. Now to continue where I left off. I'll kill you all!_"

As most of the shinobi, with the exception of Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura, turned around they came face-to-face with Shukaku himself.

'Amazing. This is the kind of killing intension Naruto has been fighting this entire time? it almost reminds me of Orochimaru.' Kakashi thought. 'I'll have to take care of this as soon as I can. Naruto can't survive another barrage like that.'

But before Kakashi could even make a move, Sasuke suddenly rushed past him, rushing headfirst at Shukaku as he let out a scream of anger that Kakashi had never heard from the youngest of the Uchiha.

Unfortunately, with the curse seal still affecting his body and the beating he had received still having its affect as well, Sasuke's rush was far to slow to reach Shukaku. He was met with a large sand fist and slammed back into the wall.

"_Pathetic. But if you want to die that badly, I'll gladly help you out!_"

"Sasuke-kun!" "Sasuke!" He heard the voices of all those around him yell out in surprise, before his hearing was cut, along with his eyesight, of from the world.

For the second time that day, Sasuke felt the sand slowly climbing up his limbs with heavy pressure.

'Is this it?' Sasuke thought as his body lost the ability to move. 'Am I really going to die now?'

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled with even more fear in her voice then before.

And then, without any prior warning, that strange dual voice that had sounded before Naruto got up could be heard throughout the entire arena again;

"_**LET HIM GO!**_"

---

'This can't be good.' The Third Hokage was getting worried about the amazing, and almost inhuman, fight that was going on down in the arena.

'This is the second time that Naruto almost loses control. His body is nearing its limit, if this fight isn't concluded soon I fear for everyone here.' He closed his eyes in silent prayer of the loud blond being saved or finishing this fight already. Because of that, he couldn't see the look in the Kazekage's eyes. That calculating look, mixed with fear, which destroyed everything for its own gain. The same look that Orochimaru always had on his face.

---

"_**LET HIM GO!**_"

As soon as Sakura had yelled in surprise, Naruto's eyes had snapped open. Ignoring all around him, he saw nothing but the pile of sand about to crush Sasuke. Again, Naruto abandoned all kind of civil thoughts and acted purely on instinct. In his still upside down position, he send his arm out, a wave of chakra shooting out of it as he did.

He effect was a blast of pure chakra, forcing everyone near it out of its way until it reached its target. When it came into contact with the sand coffin, a large part of it was blown away, allowing Sasuke to get out. The rest of the blast continued and hit Shukaku head on. Not strong enough to send him flying back, it made him flinch and close his eyes none the less. In that one second, Naruto had managed to turn himself around, his head again pointing up, and push himself of against the wall. When Shukaku's eyes opened again, he could see nothing but Naruto's fist about to make contact with him.

"_Aargh!_" Shukaku yelled out in pain, but Naruto did not stop his barrage. With a newfound strength, he sent a left punch into the stomach of Shukaku's host, causing him to fly up. He continued with two more punches, moving his opponent almost half a meter up in the sky, before spinning around with the last punch and launching a powerful rising kick. The kick itself forced Shukaku to fly backwards rather then up and caused him to slam through the fences, having him in open air above the Arena. As he looked up, again he saw Naruto coming at him, his fist joined together for a powerful jackhammer punch. As soon as the punch hit him, Shukaku's direction changed to vertically down and, in less then a second, he had slammed into the ground beneath him hard.

Having used the momentum of his attack to bounce back to his old location at the stand's railing, Naruto turned around to see if Sasuke was alright when he noticed something.

'Hey! Hinata and Sakura-Chan are supposed to be pinned to the wall here. Where are they?'

As he looked around, he suddenly saw them standing with the other Shinobi, free from any kind of suffocating substance or bounds.

"You are ok after all!" Naruto said his voice almost ecstatic. Without him ever intending it, a sudden single tear slid down his cheek.

* * *

a/n: I would first like to thank my 3 beta's, Zephyr-Tai-Ji, Illusionsky and Mirrorsofillusion for their excellent work on this chapter.

Next week I'll be posting chapter 9, as per the time-limit of 1 month.

As for the questions:

1): it has been noted by RobotPirateNinja that Shukaku doesn't come out when Gaara's K.O.-ed, as proven in canon by his fight with Deidara.

My way of looking at it is that Gaara has improved his abilities and control over Shukaku, thus allowing him to prevent Shukaku from coming out. But right now, Gaara's still instable and unable to control the demon. So that's why I made Shukaku come back out.

And for Coco Crow (and anyone else who's been wondering what Arashiodori means), the translation of the story title is something like:

Naruto: Storm Dance


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto universe. If I did I would be rich, but I'm not. As it is I'm just another poor student.

* * *

"You are ok after all!" 

As Naruto saw all of his friends standing there, all still alive and not pinned to the walls by the sand, he felt so much relieve wash over him that he couldn't stop a tear from falling down. As he slowly stood up and walked over, Kakashi suddenly realized that the Kyuubi's chakra was being greatly reduced by Naruto, changing his body back to its normal form.

Step by step, almost as if he was holding a crutch, Naruto walked closer to Hinata and Sakura before placing his hands on a shoulder of each of them. And then he did something no-one had ever expected. He suddenly drew them in a hug as he freely let the tears flow for what was probably the first time in years.

"I'm so glad you are alright!" he said through his tears. He couldn't see it himself, but Hinata's face was quickly becoming the human equal of a tomato, while Sakura had no idea how to react to the sudden emotional outburst of her teammate. While Sakura was used to Naruto being loud and impulsive, she had never seen this side of him. Before she could try to hug him back, Naruto pulled back on his own accord before speaking up again.

"But how did you…"

"I cut them free." Kakashi interrupted. "Right after I saw you revert back to your old self."

"I see." Naruto said. "Thanks for saving them Kakashi-sensei. But why didn't you free them before?"

"Because I wante.."

"Because it was the best way to motivate you." Sasuke said, interrupting his teacher. "You always fight best when other people are in danger, but this time you were being too scared. That's why we didn't let you know they were safe. It would remove your drive, your motivation."

"I see. That's fine. As long as they are ok I don't care." Naruto said, a small smile playing on his face.

"_Goddamn you bastard I'm going to fucking kill you! How dare you punch ME like that! You'll pay you pathetic human bastard!_" suddenly the voice of Shukaku sounded again, alerting everyone that Naruto's last attack still wasn't powerful enough to finish the Sand Demon.

"Naruto, stop it. You know we're safe now. Stop this fight already; you'll really hurt yourself if you go on like this. Just stop it; I don't want to see you get hurt by him too. Let Kakashi-sensei or someone deal with him." Sakura almost pleaded as she saw Naruto's eyes go back to the hole in the ring.

"Please, just don't fight him anymore. I don't want to see you get hurt." Sakura could hardly control her tears as she held on to Naruto's jacket with both her hands, trying to stop him from moving away.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto said as he looked back at her, before noticing the looks the other rookies were giving him. Each of them looked scared but, unlike what Naruto expected, their fear wasn't aimed at him. Rather he could see they were scarred because of what might happen to him. Again a smile appeared on his face as he spoke up.

"Thank you. You have no idea what it means to me to hear those words. But I can't stop this fight. Not now. I'm the one who defeated Gaara and it's because he passed out that Shukaku is now terrorizing everyone here. I have to stop him; I'm the only one who can. But still, seeing you two like this, I'm really relieved. Because, for a while there, I was afraid I might have to really kill him. I'm so glad I won't have to do that."

With that he kindly removed Sakura's hands from his jacket and turned around, but another voice suddenly spoke up.

"Why do you continue to fight him alone Naruto?" Sasuke's voice ringed through the stands. "Everyone is here; together we can win this fight easily, even if my body is as damaged as it is now. So why fight alone?"

"Didn't you just say it yourself Sasuke?" Naruto asked him in return, his smile threatening to become a grin. "I'm at my best when other people are in danger. Sakura-chan and Hinata are save now, so I don't have to worry about them anymore. But because of that, I now have another person I need to save."

"Why do you go so far?" another voice, this one new to Naruto's ears, asked. As he turned around, he saw a young girl of around Konohamaru's age with long black hair and the same eyes as Hinata standing at the top of the stands, where Naruto had been lying a few minutes before.

"Hanabi-Chan." Hinata's voice was one of complete surprise as she recognized her sister.

Unfazed by her sister's voice, Hanabi asked her question again.

"Why do you go so far? This fight could have ended a long time ago if you let others interfere. Why do you insist of risking your life for something this stupid?! WHY RISK YOUR LIFE FOR AN ENEMY!"

"Because I don't want to see anyone die." Naruto answered. "And besides that, he and I are similar. There is only one difference between us and I want to see for myself whether or not I was right. That's why." Without giving further explanation, Naruto turned away before yet again a voice spoke up.

"Wait Naruto!" this time it was his last opponent, Hyuuga Neji, who had called out his name.

"WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP INTERUPTING ME ALREADY! I'M TRYING TO FINISH A FIGHT HERE!" Naruto suddenly yelled, irritated.

"…" stunned by the sudden outburst of Konoha's most unpredictable shinobi, it took everyone a few seconds to find their voices. It was Neji who spoke up first

"Just listen for a second, I won't tell you to stop the fight; I just want to warn you about something important. With the kind of chakra-output you two are using, it won't take long at all for your bodies to be unable to keep up. I've been watching this fight since you and your frog send a dagger flying through the infirmary and with my Byakugan I can see that your body is at its limit. The same holds true for him."

"So, what does that matter? We're already both passing our limits, who cares if we go on a little further?"

"You are an idiot." The genius Hyuuga replied. "Your body has a limit for how much power and damage it can take. You can push yourself past those limits with determination and other similar things, but the fact remains that your body has a limit. Your chakra circulation system is closely intertwined with your organs; it's what makes the Jūken fight style so deadly. It deals damage to the organs."

"Yeah I know. I felt it first hand remember?" Naruto turned around, his face having a look of annoyance.

"Then did you know that what you are doing right now is the same as fighting a Hyuuga again?"

"What?" Naruto turned around, the look on his face showing he didn't understand Neji's sudden question.

"If I can damage your organs with attacks to the chakra circulation system, you can also damage them yourself by using too much chakra at once. Normally this isn't all that big an issue because a shinobi usually can't produce enough chakra for that, but for some reason, both you and he can surpass the limits of your body up to a dangerous point. If you guys keep this up, in a few minutes your hearts will be so spent with the continues high-usage that it'll shut down, permanently. In other words, if you guys keep this up, you'll literally die from your own power. So give up while you still can Naruto. A few more minutes and you'll be dead, or your heart and other organs might be damaged beyond repair, making live as a shinobi impossible."

"I see." Naruto's voice was more quite then normal as he turned his face away. A sign to Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke and Hinata that he didn't really understand what Neji had just told him but was pretending he did. They were half right.

Naruto didn't understand how his own chakra could be damaging his body, it was a part of it after all, but he did understand that both he and Gaara could die because of their power.

"Thanks Neji." Naruto said as he turned around again, hoping to not be interrupted this time. Before he returned to his fight, he suddenly thought of an important question to ask.

"How long will we last? Before we're in danger I mean."

Neji, activating his Byakugan, took a few seconds to look around, focusing his sight on both Naruto and Gaara before answering.

"With the level of chakra he is using, I think he may have about 4 or 5 minutes before his body is damaged beyond recovery, probably 5 or 6 minutes until he dies. In your case, with the level you were using a minute ago, you probably have 5 or 6 minutes before your organs are damaged to badly, maybe 6 or 7 minutes before you die. But I'm no doctor and I don't know much about either anatomy or physiology. I'm taking a guess on what I see here."

"Ok, got it. So I'll have to defeat him within 5 minutes right? No problem!" giving one of his trademark confident grins over his shoulder, Naruto suddenly dashed away from his friends and jumped.

While still in the air, he crossed his arms in front of his face as he let even more of Kyuubi's chakra course through his circulation system. With a roar of renewed fury, he jumped down before engaging his enemy in combat again. With the new, even higher amount of chakra strengthening him, and his body being more adapt at close combat, it was obvious to all that Naruto was suddenly setting the pace of the fight, easily landing two or three punches for every one that Shukaku threw while he was dodging those.

"That idiot!" Neji suddenly shouted. "If he increases the chakra output even more, it'll only destroy his own body. If he keeps this up, he'll die before Gaara's body is even in a critical state!"

"Exactly." Kakashi calmly said. "Didn't you hear what Naruto said just now? He has one more person he wants to save. I doubt the reason he told us was the real one, but he is determined to also save Gaara. And for that reason he has to defeat Shukaku as fast as possible.

---

As he gave a powerful uppercut with his right hand, Naruto saw Gaara's body fly back and crash to the ground. Seeing the opportunity to start the rescue, Naruto suddenly started speaking to his opponent.

"Gaara, I know you can hear me! Get of your ass and wake up already. You're already waking up, so push back this damn raccoon or you won't survive."

"_Will you shut up already?!_" Shukaku shouted as he pushed his arm forward, the sand instantly gathering around it, making it appear like Shukaku's limbs instead of Gaara's.

Naruto raised his left and caught the demonic arm with it, not even being pushed back. Raising his left arm for a punch, he spoke up again.

"You shut up!" as his right arm punched the sand-formed limb, it was instantly destroyed by the power, forcing Gaara's body back on the ground.

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Gaara." Naruto gave the raccoon demon a look that, combined with the red eyes, transformed face and large amount of chakra Naruto was giving of, caused even Shukaku to back away.

"You said that you want to know the reason for your existence, right Gaara?" this time around, Naruto's voice was much softer, almost as if he was speaking to a close friend that made a mistake.

"I can't tell you what your reason for existence is, but if you keep this up, you'll never find out. If you let this raccoon control you, that is all there is to you existence. You will be erased, becoming nothing but a memory to those who knew you, as Shukaku destroys you and takes your place. Then, your existence really will be erased without a meaning."

Down on the ground, as Shukaku was trying to get back up with the injured body and newly dislocated shoulder, he suddenly stopped his struggle against gravity. Naruto could see his eyes un-focusing for a second and return to Gaara's eye color, before that was repressed again and Shukaku's eyes returned. Knowing that he was getting to Gaara, Naruto continued his talk, hoping to give the red-headed Suna-shinobi enough power of will to overcome his inner demon, literally.

"Yes that's it! Fight him! Show everyone that you are different from him! Let everyone here know that you are Gaara of the Desert and not Shukaku of the sand! Show them you are a human and not a demon! Prove to everyone here, that your existence is your own and not that of the demon inside of you!" as he spoke, he saw that Shukaku was having more and more problems suppressing Gaara's personality, struggling to contain control.

'Al right, it's working!'

---

"What is Naruto trying to do?! How on earth is talking suddenly going to help after that beating he got? If anything, Naruto has been making sure that Gaara is STILL knocked out!" Kiba yelled at no one in particular.

"He's trying to make Gaara break free of Shukaku's control." Gai answered before Kakashi had a change. 'Haha, take that my eternal rival! You are not the only one who can understand your student's motivations!'

"The control that Shukaku has on Gaara right now is probably somewhat similar to a Genjutsu, am I right Kakashi?" Gai needed the confirmation of his rival because he himself could not see the chakra flowing through the bodies of those boys who were fighting.

"How on earth is having a freaking raccoon demon control your body a genjutsu?!" Kiba shouted in return.

"Kiba, you know how a genjutsu works right." Shikamaru asked before any of the jounins could answer. At the dog-user's sudden silence, Shikamaru gave a sigh.

"Listen up, and do your studies from now on. It's troublesome to explain everything all the time. A Genjutsu works by controlling the chakra flow of your opponent in their brains, thus having control over their 5 senses and, with high level versions, even their entire body to a degree. Following so far?"

At the confirming nod, Shikamaru continued.

"The chakra flows through your entire body and, as Neji just said, it also passes all of your organs, brains included. That means that with enough chakra you can influence your brains capacity. And an enemy can control everything you think, see, feel, smell, taste and whatnot. So, what Gai-sensei is trying to say is that Shukaku is controlling Gaara in a similar way. The chakra he is forcing through Gaara's body is most likely suppressing his personality and controlling his body by force. So that means you can break that control the same way you can with any genjutsu. Either you get hurt enough to break the trance, disrupt the chakra flow for a second, or forcefully break yourself out of it with pure will. But with that last one, you'll have to be a lot better then your opponent."

'He really knows his stuff.' Kakashi thought as Shikamaru explained. 'In terms of knowledge he is probably on the same level as Sakura, but it looks like he also has expert analytical abilities. Good qualities for a shinobi.'

"Then why on earth is Gaara still being controlled! If it's a genjutsu Naruto has already inflicted enough damage to break out of any level of genjutsu, right."

"It isn't a genjutsu in itself, just something very similar to it." Gai said. "And Naruto has been doing much more then just inflicting damage. With every attack he and Shukaku perform a massive amount of chakra is used, whether they hit or not. In this entire fight, Naruto has been causing both damage to Gaara's body and severely reducing Shukaku's chakra to make it easier for Gaara to break free. Quite the battle plan indeed. It would seem that, right from the start, your student has been aiming for this."

"I doubt that." Kakashi simply said, dismissing the praise Gai was giving Naruto. "It's true that the fight gave had those effects, but this is Naruto we're talking about. I'm pretty sure he doesn't even understand that he has to break something similar to a high level genjutsu. He's just doing what he does best."

As Kakashi didn't give an additional explanation, Lee asked the question that was bothering them all.

"And that is?"

"Motivating and changing people."

---

Meanwhile, down in the ring Gaara's body was twitching and rolling around, both hands gripping the head as if he was experiencing a massive headache.

"Get…. Out… Of…. My…Head!" Gaara's voice was speaking slowly, struggling to remain in control. One of Gaara's eyes had returned to its natural color while the other was still Shukaku's.

"_Shut up you! Get back to sleep already! I still have to kill him!_" this time it was Shukaku that sounded throughout the stadium.

"No! Stay away from me!"

"_Shut up! I'm out for the first time in so long; I'm not going to be pushed back so easily!_"

As the two voices argument continued, the sand around Gaara rose up slowly, falling back periodically as Gaara was in control, but it was obvious that the same sphere of sand that had protected Gaara against Sasuke's attacks was being reformed.

'_Damn that brat._' Shukaku thought. '_If he pushes this body a little further I really won't have hold over it any more. I need to regain my hold over him and then I'll kill him for sure!_'

"Naruto!" Kakashi suddenly yelled throughout the arena. "He's trying to buy enough time to regain his hold over Gaara's body! Don't let Shukaku get away. You're close to finishing this fight; all you need is one more push!"

Naruto instantly rushed towards the still open parts of the orb, but Shukaku managed to close it just in time to stop Naruto from attacking him.

The look he shot Naruto the last second before the orb closed around him was nothing short of manically, enough to send shivers down any sane man's back. Naruto, however, simply stared back at him as he came up with a new plan. With Kyuubi's chakra flowing throughout his entire body, brains included, he remembered everything that had happened in his fights with Haku and Orochimaru and he already had a move up his sleeve that he could use to finish this once and for all.

Turning around, Naruto took a dash away from Gaara and Shukaku, landing up on one of the walls in a similar pose that Sasuke had took before activating his Chidori. Naruto's left hand gripped his right at the wrist as he forced almost all the chakra in his body to his arm.

---

"He Kakashi, don't tell me you also taught him how too…"

"No Gai I didn't. I only taught the Chidori to Sasuke because it's too dangerous to use without the Sharingan. But, from the looks of it, this attack is not the same. He's focusing a massive amount of chakra into his entire arm, not just the palm of his hand."

---

Standing horizontally on the wall, Naruto kept on pumping more chakra into his arm, enough to cause it to swirl around it for all to see.

'Almost there! I almost reached the level of the punch I used against Haku! Just a bit more!'

Feeling a huge strain on his right arm, Naruto almost felt the chakra around it increase its intensity as he clenched his fist. Just like what happened at the country of the wave almost a year ago, the chakra that left his arm was strong enough to damage physical matter around him, causing it to create a crater similar to how Sasuke had done with his Chidori.

'This feeling! This is it!' having determined that the attack was the same one that destroyed the Ice mirror Jutsu, Naruto roared out his challenge.

"Get ready Shukaku! Because here I come!" swinging his arm back, increasing the crater, causing it to become a mirror image of the one Sasuke had created no two hours before, Naruto pushed of towards his target, the giant orb of sand.

As he rushed, the chakra that was coming from his hand suddenly started changing its shape, mutating until it suddenly encased his fist completely, and strangely resembled a fox's head. Its jaws opened, issuing a silent threat to the orb, the ears pointing backward paralleling with Naruto's arm.

"TAKE THIS!" Naruto shouted as he sent his fist flying for, he hoped, would be the last time that day. As it made contact with the sand, he released all the chakra at once

The entire arena was filled with smoke at the explosion that followed.

* * *

A/n: 

Question answering time:

First of, my apologies for Coco Cow, I am sorry I misspelled your name last time.

Questions of the week:

Chronostorm asked if with that amount of chakra, Naruto should be transformed to het 1-tailed form..

Naruto has transformed into the no tail version, where he gains the claws, eyes etc. the form he takes against Haku, Orochimaru, Kimimaro and Sasuke (before the Sharingan upgrade).

And DarkFayt asked if I was planning to continue this after the chuunin exams.

I will reveal to you all that I have an entire storyline ready and waiting, start to finish, that I have shown to, and discussed with, all 3 my beta's. You can expect a very long story coming up. I have no idea just how long it'll take though.

Oh and btw, happy birthday to S-Wanderer999, even if I have no idea when your actual birthday is.

And as always, I would like to thank my beta's Zephyr-Tai-Ji, Illusionsky and Mirrorsofillusion for their work on this chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. I'm borrowing them for some fun and amusement.

* * *

"Please, be all right. Please be all right. Please be all right!"

Sakura caught herself mumbling those words over and over again as she waited for the smoke to clear down in the arena. Next to her, Hinata was quietly speaking Naruto's name as she continued to look through the smoke with her Byakugan. All the others were watching intensely, hoping to find a glimpse of the blond loudmouth as well, but the smoke was just too thick.

"If that idiot managed to get himself killed with his own attack, I'm going to get seriously pissed off at him!" Kiba yelled concern obvious on his face.

Slowly, the wind was carrying away the smoke as all people in the stadium were quickly focusing on finding the two shinobi.

"Where are they?"

"Do you see him?"

"What happened down there?"

All throughout the stadium varies shouts were coming, most of them exited or concerned.

As the smoke was finally fully cleared, they could all see the huge crater that had suddenly appeared in the centre of the arena, its deepest point right at the point where Shukaku had raised his sand orb.

"Don't tell me they really did die!" This time it was Ino who was shouting in fear and concern as she continued to search through the battlefield below.

"Over there!" Sasuke suddenly pointed at one of the walls that were still standing after the titanic battle that had occurred. At the base, a small crater had been formed with one person sitting in it, the other lying on the ground at his feet, also in a small crater.

Looking closer, they saw Gaara, with a new wound on his head and chest, both bleeding slightly, lying on the floor, while Naruto was the one sitting in the crater. The right arm of his jacket and his shirt were completely destroyed in his attack, causing his jacket to hang limply from one arm as the other one was completely exposed for all to see. As everyone saw the two young shinobi sitting there, silence suddenly returned to the stadium as everyone was tensely waiting for a signal either one of them was still alive.

The judge apparently also considered the arena to be a save place again as he reappeared to check up on both Shinobi. When Genma was still walking towards them, Naruto's voice was the one to break the silence again.

---

"Hey… Gaara…" Naruto started, looking down to see the red-haired shinobi lying at his feet. "Are… you… still… alive?" each word Naruto spoke came out in great difficulty.

"Hgn." Gaara slowly opened both his eyes to reveal they had reverted back to their natural color, indicating that Shukaku had finally been suppressed.

"That's good."

With that, silence reigned once again throughout the stadium as everyone in the stands held their breaths as the judge slowly walked up to the two boys.

"Why?" Gaara's broke the silence after almost half a minute had passed confusion evident in his speech. "I could not… control my body, but I… could see what was going on. You…. you had multiple chances to kill me… why didn't you do it? You would have been rid of all your problems."

Naruto looked at Gaara, as if trying to telepathically send him a message. Following that, he looked up at the sky as he tried to think of the reason.

"I don't really know why." Naruto simply stated after a few seconds as his eyes returned to look Gaara in the face again. "But if I had to say something, it's probably… because you reminded me of my old self."

"What are you talking about, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Naruto took a long deep breath as he looked down at his feet, as if he was embarrassed by what Gaara asked him. In that same pose he suddenly spoke up again.

"For as long as I can remember, people have always looked at me so coldly and they always hated me, though I never knew why. I always thought it was because I was all alone, because I had no parents. That's what I thought when I saw all the other kids play with each other and there parents. When I looked at them, I could see the happiness in the eyes of a father watching his son, a mother walking with her daughter and I could clearly see the cold looks they were giving me when I was near them. Whenever they looked at me with those eyes, I always thought; 'don't look at me like that. Just don't look at me with those cold eyes.'"

As he continued to look downward, diverting his eyes from both Gaara and everyone else in the stadium, Naruto struggled to keep his tears from flowing out as he remembered those times.

"And there was one time, when I was about 8 years old. There was a boy with his father, the father was looking at me with those cold eyes just like everyone else, but I wanted it to stop. I didn't care how, as long as I didn't have to look at those eyes any more. I really thought; 'stop looking at me like that or I'll hurt you. Turn your eyes away before I do something I won't forgive myself for later.' And even for a second, I really though about killing him, just to get his eyes away from me. And when I ran towards him, planning to hurt, maybe even kill him, to get rid of those eyes, I tripped. The man and his son were both laughing at me, but I saw his eyes in that one moment. If even it was for only a second, they didn't look as cold anymore.

I was really happy. Even if he was laughing at me, his eyes didn't look as cold. It was then that I decided that I'd anything to get rid of those eyes, even if it'd mean making a fool out of myself. I became a clown, just so I could stop people looking at me as cold as before. And even after I joined the Ninja academy I continued to be a joker, thinking it was the only way to divert those eyes. And then something else happened."

As Naruto raised his head to the sky, he had completely forgotten where he was right now. He never realized that almost the entire village was hanging onto his every word as he told his tale.

"With the exception of my classmate Sasuke, the entire Uchiha clan was killed in a single night. I never really knew what was going on, and I didn't really care either, but after that I realized something. Sasuke was suddenly alone, just like me. And I thought that, like me, he would be hated as well. One day, I was walking past the Great Konoha Lake, at the east of the village, and I saw him sitting there, on a pier as he was watching over the lake. I wanted to go and speak with him, but as we looked each other in the eye something stopped me. We both gave each other a stupid look, showing that we didn't care at all, and turned our heads away at the same time. But when I looked back at him, he had a smile on his face and I really couldn't help but grin a bit myself. Even so, I never had a chance to talk to him about being alone, so I waited for him to show up in class again, hoping to talk to him and maybe, just maybe, become friends. I never really got the chance too. Everyone accepted him back like nothing happened, some even hailed him as a hero for surviving. But everyone, no exceptions at all, did the one thing I have always tried so hard to get. They all accepted him, even though he was all alone.

It was then that I started to think about being accepted. What was so different from Sasuke and me? Why was it that people would accept him when he was all alone, but they all looked at me like I should just die? I thought about it a lot and in the end I thought that people accepted Sasuke because he was strong. He was from one of the strongest families in the village, even if he was the last remaining one, and he was the one always getting praised by the teachers because he was strong. As I learned more and more, I discovered that there was only one person in the village that everyone respected and accepted without fail. The strongest person in the village. The Hokage. And from that point onward I always started yelling stuff like; 'I'm going to be the Hokage one day' but actually, I was always lying to everyone, even to myself.

My real dream, the real goal I wanted to obtain, was for everyone to accept me, and becoming the Hokage was only my means to an end. And then, when someone finally accepted me, I realized just how good it felt. That feeling I got that everyone else experiences daily, it was definitely the best I ever felt. And I promised to myself that I would never let that feeling of happiness go away, even if it meant I had to die to protect it. Even if I had to die, in order to make sure that the people who accepted me, who gave me that feeling of happiness, would survive."

At the end of Naruto's story, some of the people in the crowd had lowered their heads, not sure where to look out of shame. But Gaara's eyes were still focused completely on Naruto as his mind raged.

'This person, he really lived through the same as me. And when he reached the same question as me, he chose to go down the hard way. I think I'm beginning to understand why he is so strong.'

"I guess," Naruto continued again, "I wanted to save you from Shukaku to tell you that. But also because I thought that I would have turned out like you if I had killed that man that day, instead of falling and making him laugh. As selfish as it is, I wanted to see if I was right that day. And I wanted to see it against Gaara, not Shukaku. To see what was the right choice."

"I think that you were right." Gaara suddenly said, every word said with difficulty. "You reached the same question I did, but you chose the hard way. You chose to try and get the people to accept you, while I killed all who looked at me. Where I tried to scare them away, having them fear me, you went down the harder path. You really are strong. I can't win. I give up."

Flabbergasted by Gaara's sudden surrender and acknowledgment, Naruto couldn't give any reaction other then a stunned look.

Silence reigned throughout the stadium as the judge slowly raised his hands.

"Winner; Uzumaki Naruto!"

Still nothing could be heard in the stadium, everyone needing some time to let the information sink in.

Sakura was the first one to find her voice again.

"He… He…!"

"HE WON!!!" Sakura and Ino suddenly shouted together. The shout sounded through the arena, with other's copying it. Then, as if they arranged it, everyone stood up at once, clapping and shouting for Naruto's victory.

The noise of people clapping and stamping didn't seem to reach Naruto at all. When a shadow suddenly stood over him, blocking all the sunlight, Naruto finally managed to look up and see his sensei standing there.

"Kakashi-sensei?" was all the stunned and hurt blond could utter.

"Yeah. Well fought Naruto. You won." Kakashi complimented him as he gave a smile through his mask.

"You were here?"

'I guess the amount of damage was too high. He most have lost track of his surroundings at some point.' Kakashi thought to himself.

"Yeah I was here Naruto. But look up for now, and see what's happening."

Following Kakashi's advice, Naruto looked up and suddenly saw all the people standing and going wild.

"What?! What's going on?" Naruto asked, still too shocked to realize what exactly was going on.

"All these people are congratulating you. You showed everyone here today just what happens when they mess with Konoha Shinobi. You showed them a fight that they will remember for the rest of their lives."

After looking around for a second and letting Kakashi's words sink in, Naruto suddenly turned his head down, looking at the ground again.

"Sorry," he said, as small drops fell from his face and onto the ground. "Right now I must really look pathetic." His talking and breathing were both staggering, indicating to Kakashi just what those drops really were.

"No Naruto." he answered. "Right now, you're looking stronger then ever before."

Naruto couldn't answer Kakashi's words, he had already passed out.

At the same time, Kankuro and Temari were rushing in to check up on their brother and teammate, concerned for his wellbeing for the first time in their lives.

"Hey Gaara! You ok?" Kankuro asked as he leaned over his brother.

Gaara was still looking at Naruto and Kakashi, who was bending down to pick the blond up now, and waited a second before he answered.

"I'm fine Kankuro. I think that the pain has lifted a little now."

He didn't react to the puzzled look his siblings gave him at his strange answer.

---

"Kakashi-sensei how's Naruto?" Sakura nearly jumped at the silver-haired teacher as he reached them with her teammate in his hands.

"It looks like he'll be fine with some rest. From what I can tell no permanent damage has been done to his body, but I can't say anything about his chakra circulation system or his brains. With the amount of hits that he took, I'll have a medic look at him after this tournament is over. But let him rest for now ok?"

Without anyone saying anything, Chouji and Ino also stood from their seats so that Naruto could be spread out on their positions. As Kakashi placed Naruto on the bench, Kiba suddenly took of his jacket and quickly folded it up before placing it under Naruto's head.

"You'd better recover completely you bastard." Kiba muttered to Naruto, "Because I'm so going to kick your ass for making us all worry like that. You have to stop trying to act cool like that or next time I really won't forgive you anymore."

As Kiba stepped back, everyone could see Naruto's condition after the fight. Kakashi and Gai took a look at Naruto before they both stepped back a little to talk without being interrupted, while everyone around Naruto started to make comments on his condition.

"He's pretty cute as well, not just strong." Sakura heard the comment from the girl that had been sitting behind her all along. The same one that had also said he was pretty strong after Neji's fight.

'Hey, Naruto is getting pretty famous suddenly. At this rate, I'll be the only no-name on the team.' Sakura thought as she gave a small, but slightly sad, smile.

At the same time, Hanabi's confusion only grew when she saw the blonde's current state.

"Why did he do that? There's a limit to how stupid and arrogant you can be about your own abilities. That's meaningless!" before anyone could answer the young girl, she turned around and ran away.

"Wait! Hanabi-sama!" Neji tried to call her back, knowing full well that her father had left the stadium after their meeting.

"Let her go Neji-nii-san." Hinata quietly said. "Hanabi-Chan doesn't really understand Naruto-kun's actions and she's just confused about it. She'll be fine; she only needs some time to think about it."

Meanwhile, Kakashi and Gai were still discussing what they had seen in the fight, talking about the level of Demonic control Naruto had shown, as well as his new techniques.

"True Gai, there is no denying that he has been trained by Jiraiya-sama this last month. It's the only way Naruto could have learned the frog-summoning technique and just about the only explanation I can think of that he can suddenly use Kyuubi's chakra like that." so far Kakashi and Gai had only managed to confirm each other's theories.

"But Kakashi, what about those weird moves he used. I know Jiraiya-sama is one of the legendary Sannin, but even he has limits to the control he has over chakra. Naruto has used nothing but bare chakra to guard Sasuke twice! And when he punched that sand earlier, the chakra wave the followed it were enough to completely dislocate Gaara's arm. You can't just ignore the possibility that the fox has influences on him."

Checking to ensure they wouldn't be overheard, Kakashi took a few seconds to think before answering the green-suited man, his voice no more then a whisper.

"No, I think that Naruto remains in control unless he is in some form of danger, mentally of physically. And when he uses Kyuubi's chakra too much he does loose his control a bit, it was obvious from the way he fought after Shukaku had awakened again. Naruto's normal fight style is to use Kage bunshin a lot to trick the opponent into showing an opening. But after that instant, when Naruto's appearance actually changed, his fight style was completely different too. He attacked continuously, with a fight style that most likely comes from his basic instincts. Listen Gai, Naruto is an idiot and that's the reason he always fails test, but…"

Kakashi turned around so he could look at the sleeping face of his student before continuing.

"When it comes to pure battle instincts or improvising on the battle field, Naruto is nothing short of a genius. His mind is not the sharpest around, but I have never seen anyone with a body that remembers so quickly. After trying a technique just once he can improve considerably. You can say the only thing that prevents him from being a true genius on the level of people like Itachi or Orochimaru is his mind. I think that everything that Naruto did after Shukaku awakened and he got up was because he was acting mostly on instinct, with no thoughts included. Because, if Naruto was being controlled by the Kyuubi, he would have killed Gaara and everyone else as soon as he had the chance. Instead, Naruto fought on and on to prevent anyone from interfering and killing Gaara. So most likely those, moves he did were also pure instinct."

"I see." The black haired, thick browed man answered, lost in thought. "I did notice the large difference between his fighting style against Kiba and now, but I couldn't really judge it all that much on 1 fight. But that still leaves the attack he used at the end, to destroy that orb of sand Gaara was hiding in. There is no doubt he copied it from Sasuke's Chidori. So what is that?"

"Like I said," Kakashi started as he turned his head to the sky, a sign he was thinking everything over some more, "Naruto is a genius in improvising, he created the Naruto Rendan he used against Kiba on the spot based on Sasuke's Lion Combo. He probably did something similar today with that 'Fox Fist' or whatever you want to call it. He saw the Chidori and heard the explanation, so basically he knew all the theory to creating a Chidori like attack. But if you look at all the details, you'll see the huge difference between them. Sasuke's Chidori made a small hole on the sand orb and cut Gaara through it, while Naruto's Fox Fist caused some kind of explosion strong enough to overpower it. And if you look at Naruto's condition, it would seem that the attack is not without danger to him either."

Taking a good long look at the young ninja, Gai suddenly saw what Kakashi meant.

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "The attack destroyed a part of his clothes, which means the feedback he gets from it is strong enough to deal actual damage to him. So if he uses it too much, he may just deal too much damage to himself, like with the Lotus technique."

"Exactly. I have no doubt that Naruto created that attack as a copy of the Chidori, possibly basing it on an attack he had previously used when using Kyuubi's chakra, but if you compare it to the Chidori… it's like comparing a sword and a bomb. The Chidori is a precision attack meant to pierce through anything, instantly killing enemies when I hit their vitals. Since the jutsu itself doesn't deal a lot of damage the feedback I get from it is very small, the power comes from the thrust before it.

But with Naruto's Fox Fist, he doesn't pierce through anything at all. He deals damage by explosion. As a result, it is much more destructive and can kill, or at least severely damage an enemy as soon as it hits, but in return the feedback is much greater and rotationally dangerous to the user. It is both the same and the complete opposite of the Chidori."

Kakashi gave a small laugh as he mentally added something.

'They are kind of like the users in that regard. Naruto and Sasuke are both the same and complete opposites in one.'

Kakashi was stopped from discussing the matter any further, because he suddenly saw a golden feather drop down near him as civilians all around fell asleep without reason.

"It's a Genjutsu! All shinobi, dispel it at once!" he yelled, as he formed his hands in the seal of the tiger and quickly dispelled the jutsu around himself. Just in time too, because no more then a few seconds later, an explosion rang sounded from the Hokage's special box as all hell broke loose around them. Kakashi could only reach one conclusion.

War had broken loose and the battlefield was the village of Konoha.

* * *

A/N: 

And that ends the Gaara VS Naruto fight (at last) and we continue on into the war. What will happen? Wait for another month to find out.

Anyway, about the reviews I got:

I had multiple reviews asking if Naruto is already at the first-tail level. He is not, he is now at the same level with Kyuubi's chakra as he was during his fight with Sasuke before Sasuke get his Sharingan upgrade (just after Naruto was stabbed with the Chidori).

Another thing in the reviews was the comparison of Naruto's new attack with Tsunade's super-power. I hope that's been cleared up a bit in this chapter, with Kakashi explaining what the attack is.

As always, I would like to thank my 3 beta's; Zephyr-Tai-Ji, IllusionSky and mirrorsofillusions for their work on this chapter. Be sure to check out their stories, especially Zephyr's new story Fuintatsujin (can be found through my favorite stories).

As always, reviews are welcome and wanted.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto universe or any of its characters. I'm borrowing it (without permission) for some amusement for myself and anyone who's willing to read it.

"Can someone please tell me why there are so many freaking SOUNDS in here?" Kiba yelled as he dodged yet another attack by one of the many sound Shinobi that had invaded the arena.

About five minutes ago, just after Naruto had passed out, Kakashi had yelled for everyone to dispel a genjutsu. Kiba and the other rookies had all followed orders, causing them to still be awake while every non-shinobi in the area had suddenly fallen asleep. At the same time, there had been an explosion at the Hokage's seating place, which had been followed mere moments later with a large purple box appearing on top of the building. And seconds after that, a view dozen of the 'citizens' had jumped out to reveal they were actually Sound Shinobi that had infiltrated Konoha, most likely using the Chuunin exams as their cover.

"Because this is a time where we can't inspect every person that enters Konoha." Kakashi answered as he slashed the throat of another Sound Shinobi that was foolish enough to attack him. "Seventeen. Anyway, don't think for now, just fight! Show them not to mess with Konoha shinobi on their home ground."

"Got it!" the dog user answered as he rushed over to where Ino and Sakura were still busy fighting two of the sound nin.

"Move!" he shouted, just before he started spinning his body. "Tsuuga!"

Ino and Sakura managed to jump up just in time to evade Kiba's attack, making him hit their enemy's hands to force him wide open for an attack from above. The girls didn't let the chance slip as they threw down their Kunai and permanently disabled their opponents. Before they even had a chance to feel sick at taking the life of another person, they were attacked again by other sound nin.

"Hey Inuzaka!" Neji yelled out to Kiba as he was busy fighting two of the sound ninja's in close combat. "Throw me one of your Soldier pills!"

Neji quickly ducked low, dodging the high kick one of his enemies had send out and gently ticked his fingers at the man's other knee. With his knee suddenly giving out thanks to the Jyuuken, the shinobi instantly fell backwards, giving Neji enough time to eat the soldier pill that Kiba had thrown at him. With the new chakra burst going through his body, Neji could finally go all out in his fight. With his Jyuuken skills, he had quickly dispatched both of the Sounds, only to see more enemies come at him from behind with his Byakugan. He rushed them head on as well.

As soon as he had reached them, he killed one with a strike to the heart. Before the other two could interfere, they were covered by a pinpoint rain of weaponry. Neji didn't even need to look back to know that his female teammate had just helped him out.

"Thanks Tenten!" he yelled without looking.

A few steps lower, still near Naruto's sleeping form, Hinata and Shino were being cornered as well. They had been surrounded by six sound shinobi and with Hinata still being hurt from her match with Neji, Shino knew their chances were slim. He had already sent out his bugs to start eating on their chakra, but it would be far too long to completely drain them. Behind him, Shino could feel that Hinata was slightly shivering. She slowly turned her head, looking at Naruto's face, before the shivering suddenly stopped.

'So I was right. It IS Naruto that has this effect on her.' Shino thought as one of the sound shinobi tried to attack his female teammate. She quickly blocked the attack with one arm before stepping in and finished the attacker of with her family's special style.

'Now it would be stupid to attack her. When Hinata has confidence, she has outstanding fighting abilities that she worked extremely hard for to obtain.' Shino thought as he punched one of the sound ninja's in the gut, pending him over in pain, before finishing it with a sudden chop to the neck. The other four tried to attack as well, but they were suddenly knocked back when Gai jumped in and spin kicked them all away.

"Nineteen, twenty, twenty one and twenty two. I'm in the lead Kakashi!" with that he quickly moved on to the next few shinobi.

"Don't count your victory yet Gai!" the silver haired Shinobi responded from somewhere in the middle of a fight.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru had tried to fake his sleep, hoping to avoid fighting, until Sasuke woke him up with a weak kick in the gut.

"Hey lazy-ass, wake up already. This is no time to be sleeping."

"I don't want to fight. This is way too dangerous." As if to confirm his words, a sand shinobi suddenly came out of nowhere with a kunai at the ready.

"Damnit!" Sasuke said as he jumped away and threw a few shuriken at the man. Shikamaru quickly back flipped to evade the dagger's stab. Sasuke rushed in, hoping to stop the man from attacking the lazy shinobi before it was too late. Strangely enough, the sand ninja didn't move at all, making easy pickings for a kick to the temple to knock him out.

"Kakashi! There are also sand ninja here!" he yelled before turning back. He suddenly saw Shikamaru's Shadow withdrawing itself from the sand Shinobi, explaining to him how his victim couldn't move anymore.

"Kakashi told me about your Ninjutsu. We'll use it to defeat as many of these guys as we can. Trap the maximum number you can, I'll finish them off." Sasuke ordered, an idea having spawned in his head.

"You don't have to give orders. You sound like Ino." The pineapple-headed genius answered. He quickly formed the seals needed and moved his shadow out, trapping ten shinobi, both Sand and Sound, for Sasuke to finish off. The Uchiha also quickly formed a view seals and grabbed his left wrist.

'Come on, this has got to work! The second time I used it was with the Curse Seal's chakra, so my body should still have enough power left to use it without the Sharingan!' Sasuke's thoughts were racing as he gathered chakra for his strongest Ninjutsu.

"Chidori!" the lightning-like Chakra gathered in his palm as Sasuke pushed of and rushed towards the immobile ninja. Each of them was killed near instantly, a palm-sized chunk of flesh, bones and whatnot removed from their bodies in a single strike.

"Oh shit!" Shikamaru suddenly shouted. Sasuke quickly turned around, only to see him being ambushed by another Sand Ninja, grinning evilly at his chance to kill the lazy kid.

"Nikudan Sensha."

Just before he could land his stab, the Sand Ninja was crashed into the wall by the destructive force of Chouji's special attack, crushing most of his bones.

"You ok Shikamaru?" he asked, still in his large shape.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks Chouji!"

Chouji only gave a small nod before turning around and starting to roll once again.

---

"Kakashi, what is that?" Gai pointed at the large purple box, for lack of a better word, as strange trees, plants and roots suddenly filled the entire space.

"It can't be! Only the first Hokage was able to use wood-ninjutsu. What is going on up there?" before he could analyze it more closely, Kakashi quickly dropped himself to the floor, evading the fire Ninjutsu one of the sound shinobi had tried to use, and quickly threw a few shuriken at the attacker.

"Thirty two."

"Think we should go take a closer look?" Kakashi blocked and countered another attacked aimed at him before continuing.

"Thirty two as well. They seem to be holding their own good enough anyway." Gai said as he pointed towards the young ninja all fighting and defeating different shinobi from the two attacking countries.

"It would seem we've fought off the main attacking wave anyway and there are plenty other shinobi around to support them. It can't hurt to take a look now. Let's go Gai!"

With that, both high jounins jumped off, rushing towards the Hokage and his current fight.

No one noticed that back in the seats, Naruto had slowly started to open his eyes.

---

'What's going on? There's so much noise everywhere.' Naruto was still busy trying to discover what exactly was going on around him, when he suddenly felt a sharp stab of pain in his chest.

'Aargh. I can't believe it, even simply breathing hurts. I can feel everything in my body stinging and screaming. Everything hurts. But I have to find out what all the sounds and screams are about. I have to open my eyes.'

Slowly, against all wishes of his body, Naruto managed to open his eyes slightly, only to be blinded by the sudden sunlight in his face.

'What happened? My memory is kinda foggy. Did I win the fight? Are Sakura-chan and Hinata all right?'

The last thought, restoring the image of his friends to his mind's eye, forced Naruto to finally open his eyes again, just in time to see a kunai flying just past his face.

"Whhaa!" his sudden cry of surprise left his mouth before he even realized what had been going on. It was that sound that suddenly alerted every shinobi in the immediate region to his awakening.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Naruto demanded, yelling into the sky.

"The village is under attack by enemy forces Naruto. but you–" Kakashi stopped his sentence, turned and slashed the throat of the sound shinobi that had tried to attack him in the back before continuing. "you have already done more then enough, you defeated Gaara and it looks like he was a major factor in their plan. Now take-" another pause and this time a sand shinobi had fallen to the small dagger in Kakashi's hand "a small break. You're exhausted. In your state you'll only put yourself into the way of more danger. Thirty nine." Kakashi had kicked another Shinobi, this one obviously from the Sand, in the neck.

Before Naruto had the time to interfere or stand up, his vision was suddenly blocked. The only things he could see were the outfits his friends wore, now standing in front of him. Seeing them standing there, guarding him, Naruto could hardly hear what they were saying as he felt an unfamiliar warmth spread through his body. But even though it was unfamiliar, he knew just how to name the feeling.

Friendship.

As he lay there, silent and stunned, Naruto tried to say something, but the words would not come out of his mouth as he looked. Hinata, Sakura, Sasuke, Ino, Kiba and Chouji all stood in front of him and they were still fighting with the enemy as well. And then, suddenly, something caused every single leaf Shinobi to turn their heads.

An explosion had sounded from the great purple barrier. As Naruto was trying to figure out what that was, Gai suddenly yelled out.

"Hokage-sama! Kakashi, we have to get over there. Hokage-sama is in danger in there."

"Calm down. The ANBU are still there as well and we can't get into that barrier from the outside. We'll have to deal with the enemies down here first and then we can try and break through to save Hokage-sama. But focus on the here and now!"

'The Old Man is in danger?!' was the only thought that was raging through Naruto's head as he slowly stood up and, amidst the chaos of the war, slipped away from his friends.

---

"Forty one!" Gai's scream was unmistakable as he kicked yet another enemy shinobi to his doom. "Hey, Kakashi! That glasses guy who was imitating an ANBU is down in the arena, along with a few Sand Shinobi! Let's go!"

Looking around, Kakashi found that the attacks in the enemies in the arena were already under control by all the other present shinobi. After slashing his forty second opponent down, he jumped down after the green beast of Konoha.

Unfortunately, he had failed to make a last check for Naruto, otherwise he would have seen the chairs that the blond had laid on previously were now empty.

---

"What are you doing here?" the white-clothed ANBU, obviously the leader of the bunch, asked as he saw the exhausted form of Uzumaki Naruto crawl up on the roof.

"You can't be of any help here. And if you are even capable of fighting you should be down there, fighting the other enemy shinobi."

But Naruto, beat up, exhausted, bruised and bloody, didn't listen to him at all. Instead it looked like he didn't even know the ANBU were there at all. Instead he just slowly stumbled his way over to the nearest of the four corners, which held the 6-armed man, while continuously muttering a single line.

"Gotta help the Old Man… Gotta help the Old Man."

As he had finally walked past the ANBU, who didn't even try to stop him, Naruto managed to get near the corner.

"Hey, what's a brat like you going to do eh? You can't interfere, its game over for that old wimp."

"Don't…" Naruto had suddenly fallen down on the ground as he tried to step forward. Trying to lift himself up again, Naruto tried to speak to the Sound Ninja again.

"Don't… Insult… Him." With obvious great effort, Naruto had finally managed to raise himself to stand on his legs again. His knees were still shaking and he had trouble keeping his balance.

'This kid is insane.' The ANBU captain thought. 'He suffered a hell lot of damage from the fight before and it looks like he broke his left leg.' As he attempted to step forward again in an attempt to stop the blond from doing something foolish, an explosion of red escaped from the boy. For a second, the ANBU captain had forgotten that he was dealing with the Kyuubi's Vessel.

"DON'T YOU DARE INSULT HIM IN FRONT OF ME!" Naruto shouted, a newfound power in his voice as he steadied himself. Again he focused all the Kyuubi's chakra into his right arm and again it warped and wrapped around it to form a fox's head at the fist. The grin that had at first spread on the six armed man's face had suddenly fallen as almost all attention in the arena was drawn upon Naruto once again.

"Huargh!" with a near primal grunt, Naruto stepped forward, onto his left leg, and swung his right in a full arc, slamming it right into the purple barrier.

Right before everyone's eyes, Naruto's fist turned completely red as it slammed into the barrier, the fox that had surrounded it easily broke through and destroyed the purple barrier it had come into contact with, the explosion blasting Orochimaru's Guard away, instantly canceling the barriers that had been put up by the four of them. The six armed Shinobi had been send flying and crashed into a large wall, leaving a deep impact where he landed. Too the surprise of everyone that watched him, he slowly stood up, holding two of his arms as if they were broken, but otherwise perfectly fine, while some strange orange pieces fell off various places on his body.

"AARGH!!!" a scream of pain so loud that the entire village must have heard it, was suddenly shouted from the roof as well. Naruto's fist hadn't turned red from the chakra he had used, nor the barrier's flames. Instead, the moment he had released the chakra and preformed his newest attack, his right arm had almost completely exploded. Blood shot, along with the still present red chakra, mingled with Naruto's natural blue chakra, shot out of various places. Naruto had barely grabbed his right arm, before he crashed to the floor. His face still set in terror and extreme pain; he had passed out at last.

Not letting them set up another barrier, three members the ANBU squad quickly engaged the other shinobi before they could get anywhere near Orochimaru, while the captain himself, stood for a moment and looked at Naruto. Bending down, he picked up the blond, letting his arm bleed all over his cloak, and moved away from the fight at the roof-top.

The fighting all over the arena had come to a temporary stop when Naruto had yelled out in pain, so the captain had enough time to safely bring the young shinobi down to the stands. Moving to the place where he saw the other genin that were partaking in the exam fighting of the last of the invading sound and sand shinobi, he still carried the boy with a strange softness, as if he were holding a valuable treasure.

'This boy has done enough. If he had not defeated that sand demon, he would have been in serious trouble. And now he has broken through the barrier, enabling help to arrive for the Hokage. Rest for now, boy, knowing you have done more then enough already.'

The ANBU captain gently placed Naruto down on the chairs he had laid on before, pulling a jacket from one of the seats and placed it over him to serve as a blanket.

He looked up into the faces of the young gennins to have made it all the way to the semi-finals. Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Neji, Tenten, Akamichi Chouji, Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke.

"He has done enough. Let him rest."

They didn't respond in words, but each of them quickly nodded before the captain left.

---

"Oh no!" Kabuto's voice bore clear distress, his eyes focused on the location where the barrier should have been. But it was too late to cancel the jutsu now, he would be transported to a location a few miles away through the earth. Canceling it now would result in disastrous effects.

'But Orochimaru-sama can take care of himself just fine. And he's still got the Sound's four with him as well.'

But what he saw, just before his head would be warped away through the earth, still made him worry.

Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai were hurrying to the aid of the Third Hokage.

A/N:

And that ends yet another chapter. I would like to thank my beta's Zephyr-Tai-Ji, Mirrors of Illusion and Illusion sky. Please tell me what you think of it and critics are always appreciated.

On a side note: I'm planning on fusing the battle into 2 large chapters, the first is the cannon re-write and the 2nd chapter my own additions to it. I'll be doing that when I reach chapter 15. it should help readability and reduce the amount of people that stop reading because the first few chapters are mostly canon rewrite.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Naruto universe or anything else. They belong to other people who have become much richer then I can hope to be.

* * *

"I still can't believe just how sudden that attack was." Sakura said to the others. 

The Konoha 1-day war had been finished some days before, with serious damage done to both the village and the amount of shinobi.

"I can't believe just how lucky we were that Naruto had been fighting Gaara before they broke free." Ino returned. All of the Konoha shinobi who had participated in the Chuunin exams, minus Naruto and Lee, had gathered in the hall of the hospital. Lee was having a check-up on his arm and leg and Naruto had yet to wake up from the fight.

"Do you know what could have happened if the Shukaku guy were let loose in the middle of the arena? He'd have destroyed half the village before anyone could have fought him off." she continued. Ever since Naruto had defeated Shukaku, Ino had spoken of him with a lot more respect, as if he was suddenly not just an idiot drop out.

"But what I'm wondering is," Neji said, thinking out loud "where on earth did Naruto learn a jutsu of that level? I knew he could do Kage Bunshin without problems, but using a summoning is something else. And why didn't he use it against me?"

"Knowing Naruto, I wouldn't be surprised if he taught it to himself somehow and simply didn't want to use it against you Neji." Kiba answered him. "He'd probably say something about him wanting to beat you himself."

"Don't be stupid Kiba." Sasuke spoke up. "A summoning technique is not something you can just teach to yourself. It requires the signing of a contract with the type of animal you'll summon. And besides that, didn't you hear what Kakashi said? Naruto must have learned it from that Toad Shinobi, Jiraiya of the legendary Sannin. He was in the village after all."

'But,' Sasuke continued in his thoughts, 'why would a legendary shinobi like that take on Naruto as his apprentice of all people. There are so many others here who he could have taught, why did he choose Naruto? And if this is how much he Naruto has made grow in just one month, then he really deserves the title of legendary shinobi. Just how much would I be able to grow under the guidance of a legendary Sannin?'

"But I wonder what happened to Naruto-kun." Tenten said. Like Ino, her voice had gained a degree of respect and worries that had not been there before. "He really pushed himself past his limits and with everything that happened to his arm. I hope he'll be alright."

"Some rest and plenty of nutrition can do wonders for him Tenten." Chouji assured her. He was carrying a basket of fruit with him, but he himself hadn't even taken a single bite yet.

"It probably won't be that simple." Shikamaru said, looking at his hands while he was sitting down. "His body was overstrained, that'll heal with some rest and good nutrition like you said. But what about his arm? After everything he did, it looked like it was in a seriously bad condition. It won't heal that easy."

'But how is it that his arm was able to sustain so much damage?' he thought, as his friends all became quiet at his announcement. 'I know that every punch, kick and Ninjutsu inflicts a miniscule amount of damage to the body, that's how you have limits and you know that you're used an attack or jutsu. If your fist hurts after a punch, you know you've hit something. But there's a limit to just how much damage you can inflict upon yourself in that indirect manner. How is it that Naruto managed to go so far over that line that his entire arm suffered the consequences? How did he manage to surpass his limits so far? Does this have anything to do with what happened at the hospital before the chuunin exams started? Aargh, too many questions. This is troublesome, but for once I want to discover everything that has happened.'

"Hey everyone, why are you all sitting here?" Lee's voice suddenly rang through the hall. "I thought you were all getting back to your missions pretty soon?"

"We're going to give Naruto, Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei a visit as well. They have only today been cleared for visitors." Shino answered his voice the same monotone as always.

"Really? Then let me go with you, I want to see Gai-sensei as well. Let's see him first!"

As good as was humanly possible with only 1 functional leg, Lee dashed out of the hall to run towards the room of his sensei.

"Hey Lee!" Tenten called after him. "Wait for us; do you even know what room Gai-sensei is in?"

"No idea, but with the power of youth I'll find it before long!" he yelled back over his shoulder.

---

"So, what exactly are we going to tell our students Kakashi?" Gai asked as he lay in the hospital bed next to his rival.

After the battle many shinobi had been injured in some way or another, but the only ones to have been given a normal room were Kakashi, Gai, Naruto and the Third Hokage. Kakashi and Gai were given a room due to their status as the strongest jounin in the village, having defeated the most enemies of everyone else (51 for Kakashi and 50 for Gai) and having taken most of their damage in a heroic battle to save the Hokage. The Hokage had been given a special room because he was the Hokage, no strings attached. Naruto however had been given a room for other reasons. To the people it was told he had been given a private room due to the effort he put into defeating the enemy and being a key-point in the survival of the Hokage.

The truth, however, was that he had been placed in a single room to ensure here would be no danger of the Kyuubi appearing and taking control of him. No one would soon forget the fact that he had almost been possessed twice in a single day.

"I don't know, maybe we should let Naruto decide on his own." Kakashi answered. "It is his choice to let them know or not. All we can do is ask them not to…" he suddenly fell silent in his sentence. He had detected 11 distinct people approaching them, not that they were trying very hard to hide themselves.

"It seems we're about to get some company." He said, just before the door opened wide and all 11 young shinobi walked in.

"I've been telling you to shut up bowl-hair!" Kiba was yelling.

"Waf, waf"

"Why don't you do us all a favor and follow your own advice Inuzuka?" Sasuke's voice suddenly came from the back of the group, sounding thoroughly annoyed.

"What!" Kiba yelled in return

"For once I agree with the Uchiha." Came Neji's voice. Kiba opened his mouth to speak up to both geniuses, but before he had a chance, Shino turned to him.

"Kiba, we are in a hospital." He said, "Please keep your voice down, you're disturbing the other patients."

Even being told to be quiet from his teammate, the young Inuzuka shinobi opened his mouth, but no words were formed.

"Damn it." He eventually managed in a low growl.

"Well," Kakashi started, "glad to see you guys are not being down in the slumps. What brings you guys to the hospital?"

"We wanted to see you guys, of course," Tenten said with a bit of a sad smile, "Had to make sure you guys were not tearing the room to shreds with some new rival competition match. Or Gai-sensei wouldn't anyway."

"And we also came to see Naruto after you." Ino added.

"Well, our injuries are nothing to worry about; it's mostly just exhaustion and overexertion." Kakashi said, looking at the young shinobi.

"Yes, all we need is some rest and good food and we'll be back in no time. But in the meantime, you should all continue your trainings, even if we're not there. Do not let our injuries stop your youthful growth!" Gai quickly added, his teeth suddenly sparkling.

"Before you guys run out of the room." Kakashi said, seeing that all the genin, except for Lee, had instantly turned to leave, "Did you hear anything about how the others are doing? And what is the state of the village. We were given only minimal information, the ANBU were too busy with other things."

"Well, let's see." Sasuke started. "The villages of the Sand and the village of the Sound had attacked us, we won the fight. Seeing the defeat of Shukaku and the death of the Kazekage, the Sand has surrendered and submitted to Konoha, reinstating them as our allies. The Village of the Sound is still our enemy, but for the moment they can't make any threats to us. Orochimaru is badly hurt and most of his attack force has been killed. He'll need all of them to defend himself, so we won't have to worry about an attack from him in the near future."

"Yeah, but there's more to it then just the enemy, you human ice-cube." Kiba said, taking a seat and continuing the report on the war. "As it stands, the village itself has suffered minimal damage; most of the damage is inflicted on the stadium and the northern wall. The enemy shinobi were dealt with before they could inflict major damage on the village itself, but that wasn't their objective. According to what I've heard when we were helping some of the rebuilding, in about 3 months the village will be back to its old looks."

"However, the number of Shinobi that have fallen in this battle provide us with a great handicap." Shino said, adding to the report. "The force of Konoha Shinobi has been reduced by at least 40, if not more. As it stands we have a very weak position with the other great shinobi villages, even with the Sand on our side. If we were attacked by another village now, it is possible that we would not be able to defeat them."

"Hmm." Kakashi had listened most intently as they brought the report. "So, with Hokage-sama in the hospital in a coma, our forces weakened, part of the village damaged and an ally that has been significantly weakened, we don't stand at too much of a good point."

"Maybe, but you're forgetting about Jiraiya-sama." Gai pointed out. "He is a shinobi on the level of the Hokage, one of the legendary Sannin. His mere presence will make other countries hesitate to attack. As long as he stays in the village, we can focus on rebuilding and re-enforcing the village."

"If you mean that man who defeated those giant snakes that broke through the Northern walls, we have no idea where he is or anything else." Sakura spoke, worry in her voice.

'From what they're saying, it's like we'll be attacked any moment now.' she thought, panic rising in her.

"True, but we're also forgetting one other important factor." Shikamaru said from the back of the group. He too had managed to grab a seat and had made himself comfortable, looking at the ceiling rather then the rest of the group.

"Naruto will invoke some worry in the other villages as well. Not only was he able to defeat Gaara, who had quite a name even with other villages, he also defeated the demon Shukaku in a 1-on-1 fight and it's because of him that the Hokage survived the fight. Add to that the fact that he could use a summoning technique that was only used by a legendary Sannin, combined with that weird red chakra of his, and the other countries will think we have a super-shinobi hiding in this village. At least until they can figure out just how much Naruto learned from this Jiraiya, they'll be hesitant to attack."

The only thing that answered Shikamaru was blank stares.

"Naruto? Scaring other countries away?!" "Him! They'd sooner die of laughter!"

'I see.' Kakashi thought. 'True, with the performance Naruto gave at the chuunin exams the other countries will be wary to invade us. Especially if they think the level of combat shown by Sasuke and Naruto is the standard for our village. This guy really has more brains then he lets on.'

"Talking about Naruto," Sasuke began after a few minutes of silence, "Does anyone know exactly what it was that he did in the stadium? I know he just learned that summoning technique, but what about all those other things he did?"

"…" All the genin suddenly exchanged surprised looks. Most of them hadn't even thought of it anymore after the war.

The Jounins exchanged a quick dark look.

"Well, we'll be going to see him next, why not ask him about it?" Ino suggested.

"Don't." Kakashi suddenly said, before anyone could agree with the blond.

"Don't push Naruto for answers." he said, seeing their surprised faces. "It's his choice whether to tell you of his power or not, so for now at least don't ask him about it. First let him recover from his injuries."

---

"Have you heard about that Naruto?"

"No way, he fought off Orochimaru? THE Orochimaru?"

"I heard he'd gone completely ballistic, they could only barely stop him."

"I'm telling you, I SAW him totally tear that sand guy to pieces!"

"Seriously, I've never been more scared of him then now."

"You can't deny he is the fox anymore now can you!"

"I think he's able to control it somehow. If that's true, then he's far more powerful then everyone thought."

"Don't you think that Naruto is the coolest guy? I mean, he almost single-handedly defeated the most dangerous of the enemies that were in the village. I wonder if he has a girlfriend already."

Hanabi heard pieces of conversation like that as she continued her work at rebuilding one of the restaurants in the village. People were walking past and talking away with each other, but no matter who it was; their prime subject of conversation always appeared to be the loud, obnoxious, stubborn, stupid and thickheaded blonde moron that had fought against that Sand Shinobi.

Everywhere she went, everyone was talking about Uzumaki Naruto and his remarkable fight against Gaara of the Sand.

Her teachers had ordered the academy students to help out with the repairs that were needed all throughout the village, claiming that it would be good training and that the teachers were too busy to fill in the hole of shinobi that had been caused by the recent war. Hanabi's father had agreed and told his youngest daughter to help with the restore of the village. He had said it would help her understand the rest of the village's population and show that the Hyuuga clan did indeed care for Konoha. The Hyuuga grounds had suffered almost no damage, apart from some upturned gardens, due to the heavy guarding of the Branch house of Hyuuga.

The rest of the village had not been so well off. Hyuuga Hiashi had left the stadium after the fight between Neji and Naruto; it was all he had come to watch. Afterwards he went to the southern side of the village and had played a crucial role in the protection there.

'And I wasn't able to do a single thing in defending the village. My sister, my cousin, and my father they all did fight. My entire family fought in that war, I'm the only one who didn't do anything but sleep. That's completely unacceptable.'

For the last week she had been feeling angry with herself. She had been present at the centre of the fighting, where the battle began, the strongest of the enemies had gathered. And she had been unable to so much as see who the enemy was.

But she had seen how the second most dangerous enemy had been defeated, right in front of her.

'How was Naruto able to fight like that? Everyone always calls him a loser and a dropout, but how could he be if he's that strong? And why would he not just let others finish the fight for him? He had already won didn't he?'

"Hey Hanabi-Chan!" a cheerful voice suddenly yelled in her ear. The sudden sound, along with her surprise, had caused the young Hyuuga to drop the toolset she was using to repair the roof and slip, resulting with her sliding of the roof.

"You were really far away weren't you?" the triumphant face, complete with evil grin, of Konohamaru looked down from the roof at her.

"You've never let me sneak up that close before." He quickly jumped down from the roof to offer his classmate a hand. She promptly ignored his outstretched hand as she pushed herself up, giving him a glare all the while.

"What were you thinking about?"

"None of your business." was the angry retort.

"But man," the brown-haired boy said, "I never thought people would be talking about Nii-Chan this much. I've heard about 20 different versions so far, all of them more incredible then I can believe. Aargh, I can't believe that Nii-Chan was holding the fight of the century and I wasn't there to watch!"

As he said the last bit, he grabbed his hair in frustration.

"You didn't miss al that much, he was looking pathetic. He's more of an idiot then a shinobi."

"WHAT! Nii-Chan is not an idiot; he's one of the strongest people around." Konohamaru jumped up and turned to the young Hyuuga. "I won't allow anyone to talk bad about him!"

"Well too bad then, because I'm saying what I want to say and I think he's an idiot!" Hanabi yelled back. The two youngsters were almost butting head now, giving each other an evil glare.

"Hey, Konohamaru-kun, Hanabi-san, stop it. We still got some work to do." One of Konohamaru's friends, Moegi, said, pushing herself in between the two hotheads.

"If Iruka-sensei finds you two fighting instead of helping with the repairs, he'll get angry again."

Ever since the battle, Iruka-sensei had been on an unusually short fuse and had been giving out harsher punishments then ever.

'He misses Nii-Chan as well. And he's probably worried because nothings been said about Nii-Chan or grandpa yet.' Konohamaru thought.

"Well, fine." He said, "I'm already done with my chore, but Hanabi-Chan has been daydreaming too much, she'll never finish it in time. So I'd better help her out a bit."

He knew that calling her Hanabi-Chan would anger her almost as much as saying that she couldn't finish her 'mission' on her own.

'I just love getting under her skin.'

"Now you listen up you annoying little snot-nosed brat!" she started, but Konohamaru had already jumped up to the roof and had grabbed some of her tools.

"Hurry up or we'll never get it done. And you know how angry Sensei would be then." He shouted back at her, a grin on his face.

"Don't talk to me like that." she shouted back as she also jumped up the roof.

---

"Now, I would like to ask all of you to be a bit quiet while you're in the room with him. He's only just woken up and his body is still recovering." The nurse said, as she guided the large group to a room at the back of the hospital.

"Here we are." She said as she pushed open the door.

The room inside only held 1 bed and there was a single person sitting on it, looking out of the window with a weird look in his eyes. He didn't even seem to notice everyone coming into the room until they spoke up.

"Hey Naruto, how're you doing?" Sakura began. Naruto turned around, surprise visible on his face. As he turned around, all the other genin saw that his right arm was completely in bandages and strapped up and placed in a sling around his neck. It wouldn't be able to move even an inch.

"I'm doing fine." Naruto replied after a few seconds. "But I can't seem to remember anything that happened after I punched Gaara out of the air."

* * *

A/N:  
I know I'm going to get a lot of angry reviews for not writing the Kakashi and Gai VS Orochimaru fight like so many of you hoped and expected, but I have made some arrangements and have some reasons. 

The reason I haven't written the fight here (keyword) is that, in this story, I will only write fights that involve Naruto and/or he's present at. Otherwise I'll never reach the parts where the actual FAN-story occurs.

Now, I have written the Kakashi and Gai VS Orochimaru battle but I'm not going to post it here. That fight, along with any other big non-cannon fight without Naruto will be written in my new 'story' Arashiodori Takeouts, which can be found on my profile or by searching.

And lastly I would like to thank my beta's Zephyr-Tai-Ji, Illusionsky and Mirrorsofillusion. They have been a good help in thinking up my story, inspiring me to write and all that. please check out their stories as well. Especially Zephyr's story Fuintatsujin. I know that particular story very well because I beta it and I helped lay down some of the storyline itself. I assure you that it's a good story and is anti-cliché so you should read it; you won't be disappointed.

Happy holidays to you three and everyone else as well.

Now if you've read all that, feel free to review and/or flame me all you want.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the Naruto universe or anything that comes from it. I'm only toying with it for some fun.

* * *

"I'm fine," Naruto said, "but I can't seem to remember anything that happened after I punched Gaara out of the air."

An uncomfortable silence answered these words. Kakashi's warning was still fresh in the heads of the eleven youngsters.

"You mean you don't remember anything at all?" Ino asked her voice uncharacteristically weak. "You have to remember at least bits and pieces or something?"

"No." Naruto answered simply, looking a bit confused. "I remember that I was talking to Gaara after I punched him, but I can't even remember what we were talking about." He added with a weird look on his face.

'Ok, a sad smile so does not suit Naruto.' Sakura thought as she looked at her teammate.

"So," Naruto said, as he quickly reverted to his normal persona, "What happened? I heard Kakashi-sensei did something really great. Too bad I wasn't there to see it. Let's hear everything!"

"…" For a few seconds everyone was silent, not knowing how to explain to Naruto what happened without mentioning his own actions in it.

"Let's see," Tenten started. "After the war broke out, the Kazekage revealed himself to actually be Orochimaru in disguise. He attacked the Hokage, being protected by some weird shield." She stopped, not being sure how to continue.

"S-s-someone managed to break through the shield with a very powerful ninjutsu attack" Hinata spoke up, twiddling her fingers together again, "The attack removed one of the casters of the shield, so it was completely broken. The ANBU quickly engaged with the shinobi who had put up the guard, while Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei entered the fight against Orochimaru."

"I bet they really kicked his ass!" Naruto suddenly interrupted while grinning. "Kakashi-sensei on his own is already good enough to beat anyone, but with fuzzy-brows-sensei there as well…"

A sudden uncomfortable silence followed Naruto's outburst. For a few seconds no one spoke up and they exchanged significant looks with each other. It was Sasuke who finally broke the silence.

"Actually, Kakashi and Gai could only barely fight Orochimaru off."

"WHAT!"

"It's true, even combined with Kakashi-sensei; Gai-sensei could not fight off the greatest enemy of Konoha." Lee confirmed.

"How did it happen? How was their fight?"

"Well, let me see here." Kiba started, a thoughtful look on his face. "It was just after the initial two waves of the attack had passed. Akamaru and I had just drilled our way through a Sand Shinobi when we noticed that the large purple cube was being dispelled. Almost instantly, Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei rushed to the aid of the Hokage. Since most of the fighting had stopped by then we could get a clear vision of what was going on. But even though I saw it, I don't really know what went on. Their chakra-levels went sky-high but I couldn't really follow everything that was going on."

"They both opened several of the Celestial Gates." Neji spoke up. He, Lee and Tenten were the most familiar with the gates and the opening of it. Most of the others present had only learned of their existence during Lee's fight with Gaara.

"From what I could see before I had to fight a few of the remaining enemies, they both opened the 5th gate, the Limit Gate, immediately. From their on they could fight at a speed I had difficulty keeping track off."

"I was a bit preoccupied at first as well, but when I looked up I saw that the Third Hokage had used kage-bunshins to defeat the First and Second hokage's." Sasuke continued. "I don't know what he did, but they fell apart into dust. After that Orochimaru pierced him on his sword before he was under heavy attack from Gai and Kakashi. Even with their speed, Orochimaru could easily keep up with them; it's no wonder he's a legendary Sannin. But at some point, Gai attacked him and forced Orochimaru to open his guard a bit, that's when Kakashi moved in to deal some serious damage. Right from the start, Kakashi had been using a Chidori with each of his hands to increase the damage. When he finally hit Orochimaru, he managed to cut into his arms pretty badly. Afterwards, Orochimaru had to withdraw. It looked like he was completely incapable of using his arms anymore."

'He lost, but nonetheless, he fought against the Hokage, Kakashi and Gai on his own and stood his ground. His power is incredible.' He added in his thoughts.

"Almost as soon as he fled Hokage-sama, Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei had passed out. They are in the hospital as we speak, being tended to by the medics." Shino concluded.

"And what about the old man?" Naruto asked after a second, "Is he still alive?"

The others looked at him a bit nervously, before Sakura finally spoke up.

"Look Naruto…"

---

"Jiraiya, we would like you to take the position of the 5th Hokage." Utatane Koharu spoke towards the back of the Sannin in front of him.

"No thanks, I'm not interested." The white-haired man replied. "Just wait for the old man to wake up; he'll be able to continue his work just fine."

"We don't know when he'll wake up again, if ever." Mitokado Homura spoke up. "The Medics are doing all they can just to keep them alive. The injuries he received from his fight with Orochimaru are near fatal for a man his age. He might never wake up from his comatose state."

"Then the answer is simple isn't it?" Jiraiya spoke, finally turning around. "If the medics in the village can't heal him, simply get a better medic from somewhere else."

"What?" the elderly man said, surprise evident in his voice. "Jiraiya, you can't possibly mean…"

"I think it's about time that Tsunade-hime brought a visit to her hometown, don't you agree?" Jiraiya answered.

"Hmm. Perhaps." The old lady intervened. "And maybe we can ask her to stay behind; it will certainly help with the village's current status. We're severely weakened; other countries might think we will make easy prey now."

"Yes I quite agree," Homura said, "Perhaps we can persuade her to stay, while you become Hokage. The mere presence of 2 of the legendary Sannin will scare many enemies away."

"I thought I just said I don't want to become the Hokage. The old man can still do his job, or otherwise ask Tsunade for it. I don't want to be tied down; I still have a lot of research to do." As soon as he mentioned research, Jiraiya's eyebrows began to strangely wiggle.

"You're 'research' is more important then the safety of your village then, is it Jiraiya?" Koharu said, a tone of malice in her voice.

"It keeps the economics running, that's always important." The taller man replied. "But besides that, when I'm traveling I can gather information regarding the village and it's enemies a lot better then when I'm tied down here. I know more about certain enemies then you realize."

"What do you mean?"

"It's something I'll explain when I'm back, with Tsunade. I only want to explain it once."

"Wait!" the old woman yelled, before the man could jump away. "If you are going to try and find Tsunade-hime, then at least let us send someone with you to assist. Some of the ANBU can help you find her."

"Don't worry old lady," Jiraiya turned his head and grinned at her, "I don't need someone to ensure I return to the village. I'll bring back Tsunade; the ANBU would only get in the way. There is, however, one person I would like to have with me. An interesting egg I found here in the village."

"Uzumaki Naruto is still far too injured to go on any sort of wild goose chase." Homura said, before his old team member could even speak up. "He has done a great deal of damage to the enemy forces and paid a heavy price for it. We need to ensure he is fully healed before we can let him out of the village."

"You mean you want to ensure he isn't possessed by the Kyuubi." Jiraiya bit back at the elder man.

"You don't have to worry about that," he continued, "that kid won't be possessed so easily. And he'll play a key part in persuading Tsunade to return."

He waited for a few seconds to see the shock on the faces of the old shinobi.

"One more thing before I go; how are Kakashi and Gai doing? When I'm gone, they will be the most important factor of the defense of this village."

"Their injuries were minimal; they have only sustained a lot of strain on their bodies. The medics think they'll be out of the hospital in two days." Koharu answered.

"Good. Then, the day after tomorrow, Naruto and I will leave to find Tsunade!"

With that, he jumped and instantly disappeared from sight.

---

"So, the old man is barely alive." Naruto spoke up into the darkness of his room. His friends had left a few hours ago, after being ordered to do so by a medical-ninja. He had been left alone with his thought since then.

"And unless we do something, he'll stay on the edge." A different, but very familiar voice suddenly answered.

"What the!" Naruto yelled in surprise. "Ero-Sennin? What are you doing here?"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Jiraiya said as he gave Naruto a light punch on the head.

"At any rate, the day after next we'll be leaving the village for a bit. We got a special mission."

"What? You're gonna come with our team on a mission?" Naruto cried out. "I can just imagine what'll happen with you and Kakashi-sensei. Two perverts together…"

"No you idiot. The two of us will be going on a mission together, no-one else involved."

"What? Why aren't we taking Sakura-chan or Kakahsi-sensei with us? Or even Sasuke."

"Because they'll stay behind to deal with other missions." Jiraiya spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But if you don't want to come along, I could always ask Sasuke. He might be interested in some of the jutsus I can teach others…"

"NO WAY!" Naruto yelled instantly. "I'll go with you. What do we have to do? Are we going to AARGH!" in his eagerness for information, Naruto had rolled onto his right arm. Instantly he felt a pain more intense then anything he could remember shoot through it.

In the darkness, Jiraiya's eyes suddenly thinned.

"Relax for a bit more. I'll explain to the medics here that you have to be ready to travel for a decently long period. Tell your friends that you'll be gone for a few days. I'll come and pick you up at dawn."

"Why at dawn? That's too early!" Naruto whined, but no answer came.

As Jiraiya turned to leave, Naruto suddenly remembered something els.

"Wait Ero-Sennin!" he yelled.

"What is it brat?"

"You said we leave the day after tomorrow right? We can't leave then."

"And why not?" the older man asked with surprise.

"The day after tomorrow is the funeral service for everyone that died in the fight. I want to attend it."

"I can understand. We'll leave in the evening then, after the service is done."

"Thanks Ero-Sennin." Naruto grinned at where he figured the toad-ninja would have been standing.

But Jiraiya had already vanished.

---

'This is strange.' Jiraiya thought to himself as he sat down on a roof near the hot springs. At this time of night there would be no-one in the springs, but for some reason he could always do his best thinking on locations like these.

'His arm completely exploded and from what I heard it was his chakra circulation that did the actual exploding. But in that case his nerves, which are heavily intertwined with the chakra system, should also be severely damaged. Then how is it he can still feel pain in his arm? Not even the Kyuubi's healing should be able to fix him now; the chakra can't reach his arm anymore. Or maybe I'm underestimating both that kid and the fox. Tsunade will know what to do anyway.'

---

"What? Naruto, you're kidding me right?" Sakura spoke up in disbelieve. "You can't possibly go on a mission with your injuries!"

"Well, Ero-Sannin says he wants me to go with him, so I'm going. And he's going to teach me some awesome new moves as well!" Naruto was nearly jumping at the last part, even though he was packing a bag with only one hand. After hearing that Naruto had to go on a mission so soon, Sakura had offered to help him pack, knowing that he would have trouble with it since he only had one arm.

"Who is Ero-Sannin?" Sakura asked in surprise.

Naruto suddenly stopped jumping and looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"Ehm… What was his name again? I think Toad-Boss called him Jirami or something."

"Jiraiya?" Sakura asked in sudden surprise.

"Yeah, that's him. How do you know his name Sakura-chan?"

"Jiraiya-sama is a legendary shinobi, one of the strongest people to have ever come from this village. He trained you and you didn't even know who he was?!"

"No, but I knew he was strong. He knocked out the closet-pervert in a single attack!"

"I'm not even going to ask who you're talking about." Sakura interrupted before Naruto could explain further. "But isn't it dangerous for you to be learning new jutsus? Your still recovering from some other serious injuries."

"I'll be fine," Naruto answered with a big grin, "If Ero-Sennin is there nothing can kill me."

"I'm not just talking about you dying. Your body is already at its limit. What happens if you overstrain it further? You might be permanently injured, maybe even unable to continue being a shinobi, like Lee-san."

"That won't happen." Naruto stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm going to become the Hokage, so I can't be defeated before then. And besides," he added with an embarrassed lopsided grin on his face, "if everyone is here, waiting for me, then I will come back for sure."

---

"You ready kid?"

"Absolutely Ero-Sennin!" Naruto yelled in return.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Jiraiya yelled at an equal volume.

Naruto and Jiraiya stood at the gates of Konoha. Naruto was wearing his traditional orange suit again, but this his right arm was hanging in a sling instead of being placed through the sleeve.

"By the way, isn't anyone coming to see you of or something?" Jiraiya suddenly asked with a slight tone of surprise.

"Sakura-Chan has to help with the academy tomorrow and Sasuke had something coming up as well. Kakashi-sensei was needed for something else and everyone else is on a mission somewhere." Naruto answered. "But I told Sakura-Chan that she'd better make sure she can help out at the academy then see me off. It's not like we'll never return or be gone for a long time."

"Ok, then lets go already."

"Ok, great!"

Jiraiya turned around and walked away, Naruto in his wake with an excited bounce in his steps.

---

"So, how do you feel?" a tall man with a strange straw hat asked his partner. Both of them were wearing large cloaks of black, adored with multiple red clouds on them and a straw hat.

"What do you mean?" Came the cold-voiced reply from the large man's partner.

"Being back here after so long and seeing how damaged your village is. How does that make you feel, Itachi-san?"

Itachi didn't answer; instead he raised his head a little to reveal his eyes. Eyes that were red as blood, with three small dots inside of them.

All of the Sharingan wielders had, once again, gathered in Konoha.

* * *

A/N: So, what did you think?

Now I've actually made a mistake in the last chapter that I wish to apologize for. As was pointed out by both DragonMan180 and OmegatheDarkness pointed out, I've made a mistake in the last chapter (I've already corrected it): for some mysteries reason Moegi was suddenly renamed Omega. I have no idea how it happened, but a version send to me by my Beta indicates that it happened with the corrected version I had on my PC. It's nothing big but I would like to thank you 2 for pointing out that mistake.

So, the basics have been laid out for the next story-arcs, there's something strange with Naruto's arm and Itachi returned this chapter.

I would like to thank my good friend and Beta, Zephyr-Tai-Ji for his help with this chapter and for checking my absolutely horrible grammar.

Please tell me what you think of the chapter with a review (constructive critics are greatly welcomed).


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse, it all belongs to people who are a lot richer then me. I'm borrowing it for some fun.

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"Damn that Ero-Sennin." Naruto muttered to himself. He was sitting in a hotel room in a village a few miles away from Konoha. Along the way the older man had started to explain about their mission to find an old lady. His old team mate, Tsuradi or something like that. Naruto hadn't really been paying all that much attention. He was too excited with thinking of the new technique Ero-Sannin had promised to teach him.

"New technique my ass." Naruto growled again. "He runs of with the first girl he sees and only tells me to focus on molding my chakra. Like that would help."

For the past half of an hour, Naruto had been sitting alone on one of the beds in the room, doing nothing but molding chakra. His right arm was still in the sling and he couldn't touch it at all; even the pressing together of his hands to aid him in the molding caused spikes of pain to shoot through his arm. He couldn't even make seals to form a Kage Bunshin so he could have some company!

'And all that was because Ero-Sennin had to go chasing after some random, but extremely pretty, woman. Stupid perverts. I know what he was really planning!'

- knock knock-

Naruto looked up in surprise as someone suddenly knocked on the door.

'What the? He got rejected already? That's gotta be a record.'

Slowly Naruto got up and moved towards the door.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up already. I'm opening the door for you so stop complaining!"

But instead of the humorous and old face of Jiraiya, Naruto was greeted by the face of someone else.

A face that looked like it was frozen in an emotionless state, looking down on Naruto with eyes that didn't show any emotion. Eyes that are red as blood, with 3 small dots shown around the iris of the eye.

"Hello Naruto-kun."

'Those eyes! They're the same Sharingan as Sasuke's!'

"Are you sure this kid's the Kyuubi?" someone behind the older-looking-Sasuke asked. As he moved into focus, Naruto could see the strange blue-skinned man with a large thing wrapped in bandages on his back. For some reason, he reminded Naruto of Zabuza.

"He looks like a mess. From what I hear, aren't guys like him supposed to be tough? Then how'd his arm end up like that?"

"Naruto-kun, we would like you to come with us." The Sharingan-user suddenly said.

"What?" Out of instinct, Naruto took a step back and braced himself for a fight. He put his right arm in front of him, temporarily forgetting he couldn't use it.

"Please, come out of the room."

Even against his will, as if he was being controlled by something else, Naruto felt himself move forward a few steps.

"We can't have him running around now can we?" The large blue man said with a chuckle as he lifted the large thing off his back. As soon as he had lifted it, he swung the large object towards Naruto. Although he had jumped back as soon as the hand had even started to move, he barely evaded the smash.

'He's fast!' Naruto thought. 'I need to use the red chakra if I even want to stand a chance!' He quickly tried to channel the red charka, but without summoning it with a handseal or asking the fox directly it was much more difficult then normal. He couldn't make seals and if he would try to ask the fox he'd be unable to move for a second or 2. 'And it looks like this guy isn't going to give me any free time!' Naruto thought as his enemy rushed at him again.

At the same time, the Sharingan-user suddenly spoke up, although his voice wasn't aimed at either his partner, or Naruto.

"It's been a long time, Sasuke."

And from behind then, from somewhere Naruto couldn't even see, a voice that he knew very well answered.

"Uchiha Itachi"

"Well, well," Itachi's partner suddenly spoke, "This is really an interesting day. This is the 2nd time I've seen another Sharingan today."

"I will KILL you!" Sasuke continued.

And suddenly, Naruto was reminded of what Sasuke had said before; about the man he had to kill, how that man was his brother.

'Uchiha Itachi? The same name as Sasuke! This guy must be him! Sasuke's brother!'

"Hey, the same Sharingan as you and he seems to be familiar with you Itachi-san. Who is he?" the large blue man asked as he looked over his shoulder.

"He is my younger brother."

"Oh? I heard that you had wiped out the entire Uchiha clan. You let one live?"

'I was right! He IS Sasuke's brother!'

"WAAHRG!" without any prior warning, Sasuke rushed at Itachi, pulling out a kunai as he went. Naruto took it as his cue to move as well.

He rushed at the shark-like man with everything he had; jumping up just before he reached him. Sending his leg out, he aimed for a kick to the man's chin. But his opponent simply blocked the kick with his empty hand and returned with one of his own. It sent Naruto flying back through the hallway and crashed him into a wall.

At the same time, Sasuke's attacks were all being parried or evaded with Itachi seemingly not even having to try. A kick from him, mirroring his partner, also sent Sasuke flying back into a wall. But the corridor ended a lot quicker on Sasuke's end then it did on Naruto's.

Even after the distance he had traveled through the hallway, the impact with the wall hurt Naruto a lot more then he had thought.

'This guy is strong and fast!'

As he looked up, he saw the large and blunt bandage-pack being pointed at him. His opponent stood and looked at him with a savage smile on his face.

"You have spirit kid, I like that. But with your arm like that and your level of skill you won't even be able to scratch me. So how about I give you a little advice; I'll have a handicap. It'll be more fun that way! Now listen, 'cause I'll only say this once. When you're facing an enemy like me, who uses a long weapon, there's an easy way of predicting where the weapon will strike long before it reaches you. Most weapons can't change directions independent of their wielder's movements. So if you want to read it, all you have to do is look at your enemy's wrist; it'll show you the movements well before the weapon itself reaches you."

"What?"

On the other side of the hallway, releasing all his anger into one attack, Sasuke charged at his brother with the strongest Chidori he could muster. The intensity of his attack caused his own skin to burn at places. He was running at his brother with everything he had, slammed the attack towards his heart, the heart that was so devoid of emotion, that had caused Sasuke so much pain. He aimed to kill with his entire being.

But Itachi simply caught the wrist of his little brother as soon as it was within the reach of his arm and twisted it sideways to release the Chidori. It destroyed the wall right next to them, along with 2 other walls behind it.

With another twist of his hand Itachi broke his little brother's wrist, causing the younger Uchiha to scream out in pain.

At the same time as Naruto heard Sasuke scream in pain, he saw the large bundle of bandages being lifted for yet another strike. He only just managed to jump to the right to evade the attack, but some of the debris from the attack still cut into his legs and arms.

'Not good, I need to summon the toad-boss or something.' Naruto thought as he forced some more chakra towards his hands. 'Maybe, if I force it, I can use seals, I only need it for one attack!' he could feel Kyuubi's chakra beginning to flow through his system, enhancing his fighting abilities. In a second he'd become just as strong as he had been when he fought against Neji, then he could use it to summon Gamabunta.

As he evaded yet another strike from the bandaged weapon, all the chakra suddenly left Naruto.

"Huh? What happened?"

"Looks like you were planning something big," the taunting voice of the blue-skinned man came, "I didn't like the feeling of that chakra, so I got rid of it. You see, my Samehada can eat chakra!"

"But now playtime is over." He continued. "You're coming with us now!" He raised his large weapon to strike, Naruto could see that Sasuke was being held up to a wall by his neck on the other side, but he was powerless to save him. He could do nothing as the white bandages came closer and closer…

But the impact never came. As Naruto slowly opened his eyes to see what was happening, he was looking at the back of a large red frog in battle armor, blocking the attack with both paws. A second later he also noticed that Ero-Sennin was standing behind the large blue-skinned man.

"You guys don't seem to know a lot about Me." the white-haired ninja said with a look of confidence. "I'm better at getting girls then they are at getting me. Even though it may not look like it, it's one of my many specialties."

"I, Jiraiya," he continued, "am the epitome of manliness! I will fall for no feminine wiles!!! Because when you're someone like me, you only have to flash your sexiness to have the ladies falling at your feet."

Silence suddenly ruled over the demolished corridor.

"OH YEAH?" Naruto suddenly yelled from behind the frog. "That girl just WINKED at you and you were chasing right after her! So stop trying to look cool and classy Ero-Sennin!"

"WILL YOU STOP CALLING ME THAT IN PUBLIC!" Jiraiya yelled in return.

"Whatever, we need to deal with these guys right now!"

"Heh, aren't you an amusing duo." Itachi's partner interrupted. "You are one of the legendary Sannin, the great Jiraiya aren't you? You like beautiful woman, but we didn't think that something so simple would keep you away for very long. And it looks like you already dispelled the Genjutsu we placed on her."

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshikage Kisame, you used the Sharingan to cast a genjutsu on this woman so you could draw me away huh? Not a very manly way of doing things."

Naruto suddenly saw that he had the same woman who Jiraiya had been chasing after sitting behind him. But for some reason her clothes were different now and she looked less attractive as well.

"As I thought, you really ARE after Naruto."

"I see," Itachi said without any emotion, "I was wondering how Kakashi knew about us, but it's clear now that you were his source of information. You are correct, 'to abduct Naruto-kun' are the orders we received from our organization, Akatsuki"

'What?' Naruto was locked in surprise. 'These guys are after me? And did he say he already met Kakashi-sensei? No way!'

"You will not get Naruto." Jiraiya stated.

"And why would that be?" Itachi calmly asked from one side of the corridor.

"Because, right here, right now, you two are going to die by my hand."

"Will we now?" Itachi asked. He suddenly picked Sasuke up by his neck again and slammed him against the wall. "Will you risk the chance of my little brother, the last of the famous Sharingan that belongs to Konoha, dieing?"

At the same time, Kisame pulled his Samehada free from the Toad's grip, made a maneuver far quicker then anything he did against Naruto and ripped the summoned being to shreds. Before the smoke had even cleared properly Kisame was already running past Jiraiya.

"You think I'll let you do something like that?" Jiraiya's hands were flashing through seals as Kisame was nearing his partner.

On the wall, Itachi was merely looking at his little brother, but the second that their eyes made contact, Sasuke suddenly started screaming and trashing about.

"Heh heh," Kisame was laughing his strange laugh again as he stood next to Itachi, "Really Itachi-san, you have no mercy at all. But I'd advice you against using that technique so many times in a single day."

"YOU BASTARDS!" Naruto yelled as he charged towards the two, cloaked men. He didn't even manage to make two steps before the entire hallway around him completely changed.

"Ninja technique: Toad mouth bind! Naruto, don't move!" Jiraiya suddenly ordered him. 'Don't worry; this is a technique of mine. And as for you two, Itachi and Kisame… it's over for you two; you're already inside my stomach."

Itachi was still holding Sasuke pressed against the walls, even though they too had been turned to represent the inside of a stomach. Suddenly, the walls grew around Sasuke, forcing Itachi to let go or be digested himself. He turned around instantly, not showing any concern at all as he spoke to his partner.

"Kisame, let's go" both men started running towards the former location of the door, but the stomach had consumed even that.

"You're not getting away. No one escapes from here on out."

But they didn't listen to his words, instead running around a corner and moving towards a wall. Jiraiya made some movements with his fingers before he suddenly stood up in with a look of amazement and surprise on his face.

As he and Naruto also ran around the corner they could see what had surprised Jiraiya so much. A large hole had been shaped in the wall, even through the strong flesh of the stomach, and there were massive black flames still burning on the edge of the hole. Flames unlike anything Naruto had ever seen before.

"Don't get closer like an idiot; you don't know what sort of power it might have." Jiraiya warned him as he saw Naruto getting closer and closer to the flames. He pulled a scroll out a second later and started writing something on it. Naruto had no idea what he was doing, but it took Ero-Sennin the better part of 10 minutes. Afterwards he suddenly started making seals again, before suddenly using some weird Jutsu Naruto had never heard of before.

"Sealing; highest rank fire seal!"

The black flames were draw onto the scroll, but they didn't burn the paper at all. Instead it was more like the paper absorbed the flames. As soon as the flames were gone, Ero-Sennin grabbed the scroll, rolled it up and closed it down with some rope.

"Well then, now that that's over with: are you all ok?" the old man asked as he dispelled his jutsu. Sasuke became visible again, but as soon as the flash around him was gone, he crashed to the floor. He wasn't conscious anymore after Itachi's last attack, whatever it had been.

"Hey Ero-Sennin!" Naruto called out as he checked up on his friend. "We need to get Sasuke to a hospital. He's not looking too good!"

"What? Let me check for a second." Jiraiya turned around to look at Sasuke, but suddenly a new voice was yelling loudly.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

The shout, emitted by none other then Maito Gai, was accompanied by a strong kick aimed at Jiraiya's face. It managed to hit him bull's eye.

---

Sakura was looking at the messenger shinobi that was standing in her room with surprise. She had just received the worst news she could have possible heard as a shinobi.

"As of this afternoon, 13:00 hours, Team 7, led by the Jounin Hatake Kakashi and consisting of the members Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, is temporarily disbanded. Both Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke are currently recovering from serious injuries received from a new enemy invasion. At the same time Uzumaki Naruto is out of the village on a special mission. For this reason, and to ensure that the remaining member, Haruno Sakura, remain a capable and active Shinobi the team has been temporarily disbanded and you are being relocated to serve at the Ninja academy as a replacement other teachers. This is a temporary occupation until the current crisis van be restored. Upon the arrival of Uzumaki Naruto and the recovery of the other team members the team will be reassigned. Be aware that you, as an active shinobi, may still receive missions to complete with other teams. These missions will not take place when you are occupied with the educating of new ninja. That's all." The man repeated.

"So I have to go and serve as the replacement for Mizuki-sensei? But where did Naruto go? Why didn't he tell me he had a special mission? And who injured Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei? Please tell me!"

"I can't." the man said. He did look like he was sorry, although it was a small consolation for Sakura, "I don't know that either. It's all classified as top-secret. You're expected at the academy in 3 days time, at 08:00 hours. Goodbye"

'Oh great. I'm all alone. This isn't going to be fun. I'm going to miss Naruto and Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei. Maybe I can learn something about what happened to them while I'm at the academy! And maybe I can ask some of the teachers there for some advice on how to improve as well!'

As she was thinking of her academy days and the training they had received back then again, she suddenly remembered a big, toothy grin on the face of a goggle-wearing little brat.

"And maybe I'll be teaching Konohamaru's class… That would be trouble." But as the thought entered her head, she couldn't help but give a small smile.

---

"Are you sure it's completely ok to leave the village like it is?" After hearing the talk between Ero-Sennin and Fuzzy-brows' Sensei Naruto still didn't understand what had been happening, but he knew that Kakashi-sensei was defeated and the village had been weakened severely as well.

"Right now, we're the only chance of returning Konoha to its former strength." Jiraiya said without even looking back at his student. "Our mission is to find the 3rd of the Legendary Sannin, my other teammate besides Orochimaru, and the best medic ninja in the world. If she comes back to Konoha, she can heal Sasuke, Kakashi and even the Old Man himself, along with a lot of other Shinobi that were injured. With her power in the village, the other countries will hesitate to attack as well. She's one of the best in the field of medics, but she also has a dangerously short fuse, ridiculous strength and doesn't like being bugged."

"Is she really that strong?" Naruto asked in awe. But somewhere, another thought entered his mind. 'She sounds kinda like an older Sakura-chan…'

"But how are we going to get there then, Ero-Sennin? If she's as great a ninja as you say, there's no way we'll be able to find her is there?"

"Don't underestimate me! I too am a member of the Legendary Sannin. If anyone can find her, it's me. But enough of that; let me tell you about that Jutsu I was going to teach you along the way. It's a special A-rank close-combat type Ninjutsu, designed specifically to destroy an enemy from a point where they're too close to evade the attack. It can't be blocked at all, so all you need to do is get close to the enemy."

"You serious? That sounds AWESOME!" Naruto yelled as he started jumping around in ecstasy. "But, wait a second." He suddenly said as he looked at his arm.

"What?"

"I heard something about my fight with Gaara. I used some super-powerful close-range attack that totally destroyed his defense. Can't I just keep on using that instead? From what they told me it's really powerful."

"Yes I heard of that attack as well." Jiraiya said. Naruto's face seemed too lit up as if Christmas had come early. "However, I can't teach you that attack, because I don't know what it is or how it works. But none the less, you shouldn't use that attack anymore if you can help it."

"Wha? Why not?"

"You are even more stupid then I had thought. You think you can just pull of an attack you don't even know in the middle of a fight? I'm amazed you could do it last time, but you shouldn't push your luck. And besides that, if you keep fighting like that every time you meet a strong opponent, I'd say you have only 3 fights left in you. You can't keep blowing up parts of yourself just because you need to do a strong attack. That's what this jutsu is for. Think that it's a 2nd attack you can use, just so you surprise your opponents."

"Awesome! I'm so going to kick everyone's ass!"

"Maybe, but there's more to fighting then just knowing the best and most powerful techniques, you should know that. It's about strategy; analyzing your opponent's abilities, reading your enemies moves, timing your attacks and feeling your way through the battle. All of those thinks are what make a shinobi strong. If you have that, even a shinobi with the weakest of jutsu's can defeat someone who knows all the jutsu in the world. And you really need to work on using your head in a fight brat. From what I heard and saw, you do things without thinking ahead. That's a brawler, not a shinobi. That's what makes a shinobi into some of the greatest fighters in the world. We have the ability to THINK when we're fighting and trick our opponents when battling. That's our greatest strength and most powerful advantage."

Naruto looked sheepishly at the old man, a silly and ashamed grin on his face.

"But that's all stuff we can work on later, for now I'll start teaching you in this special technique that was developed by no-one other then the 4th Hokage. And it took him 3 years to create it! You're going to be spending most of our journey working on it; it's training time!"

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A/N:

And that's the chapter for this month.

I would like to thank Zehpyr-Tai-Ji as always for his work as a beta and the many discussions we had on various subjects concerning the plot and this chapter.

Also, I would like to clear up some confusion that started from the last chapter, without spoiling TOO much. I only revered to Sasuke, Itachi and Kakashi with that last line, no-one else. The latest person revealed in the manga (that people have been asking about) won't be in this story (at least not the same way he's in the manga).

As always, please review and tell me what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto, although I would like to.

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"So, Sakura, how do you like being an instructor?" Iruka-sensei asked her as they were looking over the training grounds. Standing next to the scarred man stood his new assistant, there by his own request, Haruno Sakura. She was holding a clipboard and making a few notes on each of the children as they were running their required laps.

"Truthful or friendly answer?" she returned with some humor in her voice.

"Is there any difference?" Iruka retorted.

"A bit. But I can honestly say that I've been growing a whole new respect for the way you put up with us for years. It's only been 6 weeks and I'm already getting tired of this; they're little demons I tell you."

"How so?"

"They're kids. They're supposed to be irresistibly cute and friendly and nice and everything. Except they're not! As soon as I turn my back they're either hurling insult at each other, rolling around on the floor fighting, hurling insults at each other or somehow making fun of me amongst each other! " It was true that Sakura looked a bit tired, but she didn't say the words with any sort of detesting behind her voice.

"True, they can be a real handful." Iruka admitted. "But, isn't that why they're kids? That's the beauty of this job; no day is the same as the next or last. And in that way this job is similar to the Ninja life in general."

"Ooooh. I didn't think of it that way actually." Sakura admitted.

"In a way, this is far more rewarding then any sort of mission you'll ever get, because here you can see the reward for your efforts directly. Unlike normal missions you won't get a lot of money but instead you get a reward that's much greater. When a child walks up to you and asks you for help because he can't understand something, or when you're walking on the marketplace trying to buy your groceries and your suddenly jumped by 4 laughing kids. Their smiling faces when they finally manage to perform that one maneuver they were training for such a long time. And for me, that sort of thing is more then enough of a reward to keep doing this job as long as I have to."

During their entire conversation they had been talking a bit quietly, almost whispering, but suddenly Iruka raised his voice significantly:

"KONOHAMARU! HANABI! STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"

From the other side of the running course, Konohamaru and Hanabi ignored the order that Iruka had given them but instead one dragged the other to the ground and they were, again, rolling on the ground wrestling.

"Why is it always those two?" Sakura muttered under her breath as she and Iruka rushed over.

Iruka and Sakura were there within a few seconds, but the damage was already done: as usual Konohamaru and Hanabi, being the physically fittest in the class, were running at the head of the group. When they, as usual, ended up on the ground fighting again, the rest of the group couldn't move around them in time and instead fell over them. The only one left standing was Udon who, like always, was running at the end of the group because he had the worst physical condition of the class.

"Is everyone okay?" Sakura quickly asked as she helped some of the kids up. Giving a quick look around them she saw most of them had escaped unscratched or with only a minor scratch.

Iruka-sensei was already holding Konohamaru and Hanabi and, none too kindly, asked a question to which Sakura had only heard 2 different answers so far.

"This evil girl said bad things about the Boss!"

"Again? Hanabi, why don't you stop provoking Konohamaru all the time? You both get in trouble for it."

"I didn't start it!" the black-haired girl responded. "This stupid shrimp said that my entire clan was weak compared to that orange-clad idiot."

'Wow, I heard both excuses at once.' Sakura thought as her face fell. 'Again.'

"You'll both be staying after school today for detention; you've both been causing far too much trouble." Iruka decided. "Now all of you finish the next two rounds and then we'll move on to the class tournament for this month."

As the kids all turned around, Sakura noticed that Hanabi and Konohamaru were both giving an almost evil grin behind Iruka's back.

"Oh and Konohamaru and Hanabi," he suddenly continued, "You two will be running five more laps. That's for messing up the running schedule. Now all of you get moving."

Konohamaru and Hanabi's suddenly had dropped their heads to the ground. Five more rounds means that they wouldn't have any rest before the tournament started.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot about Hanabi's tournament. Thank you for reminding me Neji." Hyuuga Hiashi looked at his nephew while he took a break from the work he had on his desk. This very afternoon Hanabi would have her first class tournament; the event itself was small and hardly worth mentioning, but it was the first time for shinobi-in-training that they could fight each other. For many it was the first combat experience and it also helped to decide who would be the leading characters in the class; the strongest would often be obeyed.

"F-father," another voice suddenly spoke up from behind Neji, "Shouldn't you go? T-to Hanabi-chan's tournament I mean." His oldest daughter, Hinata spoke up, timid as always.

"Perhaps I shall, but this requires my immediate attention. The tournament is not scheduled to begin for another fifteen minutes."

"Y-yes father, I just thought that, since it was Hanabi-chan's… never mind. I must go now, we have a new mission. Good day Father, Neji-nii-san." With that she bowed to both men, turned and left.

"Neji, are you otherwise occupied this afternoon?" Hiashi asked as he bent over his paperwork again.

"No, Hiashi-sama. My teacher is on a separate mission so my team will remain on stand-bye status for now."

"Good, then I would ask that you go to the academy to observe Hanabi's matches if I can not get there in time." Hiashi asked as he returned to his writing.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama."

"Oh, and Neji," he looked up and met the eyes of his cousin before continuing, "I would ask that you tell me of any errors in her techniques so we may improve, in both her physical skills and her mental state. You may go."

"Understood. Good day Hiashi-sama."

Like his cousin, Neji bowed and left the office of the leader of the Hyuuga. A few minutes later he was already halfway to the academy.

"Ah, Neji-san." Sakura greeted the white-eyed shinobi when she noticed him arrive. "Are you here to see Hanabi's matches?"

"Yes, Hiashi-sama wasn't sure whether or not he could manage to arrive in time for the tournament to start so he asked that I come instead. Speaking of Hanabi-sama, where is she?"

Neji looked around the group of children a little surprised. About twenty children were all sitting in the immediate area, most of them with parents or siblings to support them. But Hanabi was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh she's still out on the track-court, together with Konohamaru. They had to do some additional laps."

"What happened this time?" Neji asked, although he could already guess the answer. It was always the same reason and even the same person.

"They got into a fight again. The same reason as always." Sakura explained with a look on her face that was half frustration and half amusement. It was at that moment that Hanabi and Konohamaru walked in and collapsed on the nearest bench.

"Haah, haah, I… told… you… I'd be… first." Konohamaru said in between large inhales of air.

"First...?" Hanabi was breathing as heavily as the brown-haired boy next to her. "You must…. Be… getting… blind or…. Something… monkey-boy… I was… clearly the… winner."

"They don't really learn do they?" Sakura said out loud.

"No, they don't." Iruka suddenly said from behind his former student. "But those two really remind me of a few others people I know. Don't you see the resemblance, Sakura?"

Sakura could easily imagine this as one of the many scenes of her team's training. Naruto and Sasuke boasting and bragging to each other, constantly competing over everything. "Yeah," she said, "I can really see it."

"Ok, everyone listen up." Iruka raised his voice to address the entire group. Instantly silence reigned in the room. "As you know we'll be having the first class tournament now. We'll be holding small tournaments like this once every three months and grading will be based on how much you improve in between fights as well as your actual performance in them. Now I'll explain the rules on more time so everyone listen up. There is no hitting a downed opponent, no weapons or ninjutsu are allowed and preferably no injuries to each other. You win the match by either; knocking your opponent out of the ring, knocking your opponent out, the surrender of your opponent or if Sakura and I declare you winner. Any question?"

He was greeted by a large group of grim and excited faces- and two faces that were still a bit red from the exercise they'd just done. Silently, Iruka led the way to the low-grade battle room. It was a decently sized room, with a small ring in the middle for the fighting. There were no chairs for the audience to watch from so everyone either settled for a nice seat on the ground or kept standing.

"You'll now have five minutes to prepare yourself for the fighting; afterwards we'll be making the match-ups based on the alphabetic order of your family names. And good luck to all of you."

Hiashi had arrived quite a bit later then he had intended. The paperwork took the better part of two hours before he could finally go to the academy to see his daughter's performance. He knew that by the time he would arrive he would probably be too late for any but the last two or three matches, but he was confident that his daughter would have made it that far.

As soon as he entered he saw that he was right to put such confidence in his daughter. She was sitting in one corner with a smug look on her face while she looked at the match that was going on. It was the grandson of the Third Hokage, Konohamaru, facing of against a child from the Inuzuka clan. As would be expected from children their age, both were fighting without any true form or skill. They were standing staring at each other for a long time before one took the iniative, attacked and either succeeded or missed his attack.

In the end, it was the Third's grandson who won the match, evading a punch from the Inuzuka, bending down and sending the back of his foot up to his opponent's face; he was using pieces from the Third's monkey-like Taijutsu style.

"So Neji, how did she do so far?" Hiashi asked as he stood next to the younger man.

"Hanabi-sama has made it to the final round. She was fighting very tactically against her opponents, making most of them back out of the ring. Her Jyuuken fight style is disadvantageous in this situation because she is not allowed to use the chakra needed to inflict the actual damage, but nonetheless she has shown to be skilled. In her four matches she has won with three ring-outs and one Judge's decision."

"I see. And what would you predict for the final match. Be honest."

Neji waited for a second to answer, contemplating whether or not he should voice his opinion. But he had been asked, not ordered, by his uncle to be honest so he would reply truthfully.

"I think that Hanabi-sama will lose the finals."

"And why do you think that?" Hiashi did not sound upset or disagreeing with his nephew, but displayed some genuine curiosity.

"Konohamaru-kun has fought four matches as well; he has won by two judge's decision and two knock outs. He is a very offensive fighter that will not stay down from just one or two hits. Without the full use of Jyuuken Hanabi-sama will not be able to disable him. And the boy is much more agile; he will control the locations of the battlefield more then Hanabi-sama can."

'Amazing,' Hiashi thought as he listened, 'there is not a single drop of hatred left in his voice when speaking of the Main Family and it's shortcoming. Such a dramatic change, and for the better too.'

"And what would you say the outcome would be if she could use the Jyuuken to its fullest?" his curiosity was getting the better of the Hyuuga leader. He recognized the similarities in fighting style and personality between the two children who would fight soon and two teenagers who had fought each other with everything they had some time ago.

"Then I still think Hanabi-sama would lose." Neji stated. An almost-but-not-quite smile graced his features as he too made the connection. "Opponents like Konohamaru are the worst match-up for a Jyuuken user; they will not stay down and keep fighting until they really can't breath anymore. No matter how many times you strike at them, or how often you close their Tenketsu, they will stand up and return to fight you again. They can only be defeated by someone as determined and certain as they are and Hanabi-sama still lacks that determination."

Neji was not only admitting the errors in Hanabi and Hiashi knew it.

"Then perhaps this might be a good learning experience for her, would you not agree?"

"Yes. Sometimes there is more to be gained from a defeat then there is from victory."

"And now the last match will begin." Iruka announced five minutes later. Both fighters had been given a small period of rest, during witch Hanabi had noticed her father's presence.

Intend on impressing her father, Hanabi took the initiative and charged at her opponent. How she had looked forth to this day; she could finally teach that stupid brat not to mess with her and at the same time impress her father with her skills.

Konohamaru, determined not to lose to this white-eyed devil-girl, had charged right back at her. Both of their punches hit at the exact same time, causing both kids to take a few steps back. Hanabi was the first to recover; she followed up with another punch to the young Sarutobi's face that caused him to lose his balance. Her second punch had caused the boy's nose to start bleeding rather heavy.

'Ha, my win.' Hanabi thought. 'With his nose like that he'll be in way too much pain to stand up before the count of 10.'

But to her surprise, Konohamaru stood up quickly and gave a rough kick to her side. Hanabi's reaction was too slow and she felt the pain shoot through her body. A second attack was coming, a punch aimed at her face this time, but Hanabi managed to sway her head to the side and evaded the attack. She gave a rough swing with her arm, hitting Konohamaru's neck with her biceps, and dropped her opponent again.

But, much to her surprise, Konohamaru stood up again and returned to the offence. Hanabi managed to evade the first kick but was caught of guard by the punch that followed; it hit her straight on the nose. Instantly, she felt blood flow as she felt pain shoot through her face. She couldn't help but give a yell of pain.

"Aargh!"

"Huh?" Hanabi's yell of pain was her savior in disguise. Konohamaru was caught of guard by the sudden cry and didn't follow up on his advantage.

In a moment of rage, due to being so disgraced by this boy in the presence of her father, Hanabi could bite through the pain and gave the surprised Konohamaru the most powerful punch she could throw to his face.

Hanabi looked down at her hated enemy with a sense of triumph; she knew there was no way he was going to get back up now. They had both received similar injuries, their bleeding noses; but Konohamaru had been suffering far more damage. There was no way he would get back up.

"Don't look so conceited witch." Konohamaru growled as he stood back up, his legs wobbling to support his weight. "This isn't over yet. I won't go down so easily!"

"Wha?" Hanabi couldn't even make any sensible words. 'How? He suffered much more damage then me and I can hardly stay standing! How can get back up?'

Without meaning too, Hanabi raised one of her arms and crossed it across her body. An action that didn't go unnoticed by either Neji or Hiashi.

"You're going down!" Konohamaru exclaimed as he rushed forth one more time. Hanabi charged right back at him, preparing to deal another full power blow to his already bloody face.

Hanabi was the first to initiate her attack, but, much to her surprise, Konohamaru ducked under her fist, bend forward as much as he could and gave her the same kick that had knockedaHan out the Inuzuka boy he had defeated in the last round. Hanabi, still trying to recover from her own punch, couldn't evade as the bottom of Konohamaru's shoes made full contact with her face.

Despite the fact that the school's medical ninja had fixed all the injuries that were received in the tournaments, Hanabi could still feel a lot of pain from her nose. She was walking home with her cousin and father, but she didn't feel the need to speak; she was far too angry and upset that the first match her father had seen was one where she was defeated.

"So tell me Hanabi," her father suddenly asked, startling his daughter from her thoughts. "What did you think of your first actual fighting experience?"

"It was pathetic." She didn't mean for the words to come out so sharply, but her anger was still having the better of her.

"And why is that? According to what Neji told me, you performed quite well throughout the tournament." Hiashi stopped and turned to his daughter. Behind them, Neji stopped as well.

"I lost when I should have won. And even worse: I lost to that stupid tooth-missing, big-talking monkey-brat!"

"Yes, you have lost your last match," Hiashi calmly stated, "but I asked what you thought about the experience as a whole."

"I should have won." Hanabi repeated. "I was better then him at everything. I hit him more often, he was down more often. By all means and accounts he shouldn't have been able to win! I mean; I'm a Hyuuga, how could I ever lose to someone like him?!"

"If I may, Hanabi-sama," Neji suddenly interfered. Seeing the approving nod of the clan's leader, Neji continued, "It is true that you had managed to land more hits and had Konohamaru-san pushed down on the ground more often, but there is one factor that he was superior in. A factor that could decide a match more then skill or power alone."

Hanabi didn't like the look on her cousin's face at all; it wasn't smug as it once was, instead it was almost as if he was talking to her like she was a small child.

"And what would that be then?" she asked as venomous as she could..

"Determination." Neji simply answered. "Konohamaru-san had determined himself not to lose to you, to give everything he had to defeat you. And that was something that you did not have."

"Are you saying that I'm not determined? Watch your tongue, Branch-family member!" Hanabi bit out.

"Hanabi!" Hiashi's sudden shout startled his daughter. "Neji speaks the truth and you shall not silence him because you do not like it. I agree with him. You hide yourself behind our name, while Konohamaru does everything he can to stand on his own to feet."

"What! But father, I do everything I can as well, how can you expect more?"

"I do no expect you to do more then your best, but I expect you to learn to stand on your own feet now. Do not think that, just because you have a bloodline limit or are a part of the Hyuuga clan you are invincible. Do not hide yourself behind our name, but fight for yourself. Konohamaru comes from the Sarutobi-clan; they do not have bloodline limits but have produced one of the greatest shinobi in history; the Third Hokage. But still, Konohamaru stands on his own feet, carving his own path and fighting for himself. You stood and fought him as a member of the Hyuuga clan, not as Hanabi. He stood as an individual against you, who would hide yourself in the name of our clan."

"I do not understand what you're saying father." Hanabi looked at her father with genuine confusion on her face. Hiashi took a second to rephrase his words before continuing.

"In short, he has that which separates Konoha from the other villages." The Head Elder finally spoke, "The Third Hokage's legacy, that which every shinobi inherits; the Will of Fire. So long as you do not posses that, your matches will forever end in the same way."

"wha…? But…"

"And I can assure you, Hanabi-sama, from my own experience, that opponents like Konohamaru are common in Konoha." Neji added, "And they're the strongest Shinobi this village has."

"Orochimaru-sama, I can't heal these injuries I'm afraid.' The silver-haired medic spoke to his master. "Not only are the muscles completely destroyed, the bone has also been destroyed, along with the ligaments, nerves, chakra coils and blood-streams in both your shoulders. They are literally hanging on with your skin only. And the injuries have also been burned closed by the attack that Kakashi-san used, so I can't speed up the natural healing either. My medical abilities can't safely heal injuries of this size."

Orochimaru didn't say anything, he was waiting for the advice that his most-trusted and skilled medic would give.

"I would recommend that you change your body now. In this state you are severely weakened and can't even use any Ninjutsu should there be a need too."

"I can't." Orochimaru simply stated. "I need Sasuke-kun for my new body; he will join me before long. And when he does, I can't afford to waste another 3 years before I can take over his body."

"Perhaps so Orochimaru-sama, but you won't even be able to safely use your soul-transfer if your arms die completely. You need to ensure you are able to use Ninjutsu first."

"Fine then. If you can't heal me and I won't change bodies then there is only one option remaining."

"And that would be?" the medic asked with curiosity

"Find a better medic. It's about time I pay a visit to an old friend of mine, kukuku."

* * *

A/N: an intermission while Naruto and Jiraiya are out on training. After all, live goes on in Konoha. Next chapter will introduce the legendary sucker, Tsunade, as well as some history from the Fourth and a few of Jiraiya's secrets.

And as for the good point that Kevin brings up, Sakura didn't know Naruto was going on a special mission, she thought it was a normal one and she doesn't know the objective of his mission, so she tried to find out by asking the ANBU.

I'd like to thank Zephyair-Tai-Ji for his excellent work as my beta on this as always and would recommend that you go read his story Fuintatsujin, it's a good story and, although it starts slowly, i promise you it will develop into a good story.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you thought of the chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

disclaimer: i don't own Naruto or any of it's characters. they belong to people who live in different continents then i do.

* * *

"Hey, Ero-Sennin"

"Hey, Ero-Sennin! Wait a second!"

"I've told you time and time again; DON'T CALL ME THAT IN PUBLIC!"

The strange shouting duo caused some people to turn their heads, curious about the weird behavior. Most people just walked past, ignoring them like they ignored the many hundreds of people they walked past daily.

"What is it brat? You want to go get some dinner? It IS almost dinnertime after all."

"No, I was wondering when we're going to return to the village. Or when you're going to actually teach me something." Naruto asked his new teacher while turning his head away in disapproval.

"You know that we can't return before we find Tsunade. And what do you mean 'when I'm going to teach you something'?" Jiraiya asked with annoyance.

"Simple." Naruto said. "These past three months, all that I've been doing for training is running across water and up trees al the time, popping balloons and rubber balls when I'm not. And now, after I FINALLY manage to make that stupid rubber ball explode like you did, you give another stupid ball and tell me NOT to pop it!. How is this training?"

"I've already explained it to you once; you should pay more attention when I'm explaining things. Just keep trying to not pop the balloon; you'll know the difference when you get it right. Now let's go in here; we can find some information while we eat. Someone might know where Tsunade is hiding."

"This is a bar. Why do you always want to eat in a bar? What's wrong with a normal restaurant or something?"

"Because our primary concern is gathering information right now, and for that, a bar is the best place to be. People will easily lose their tongues when they've had a few drinks. So a bar will….."

"What? A bar will what, Ero-Sennin?"

"Speak of the devil."

XxX

"Wow, how much of that stuff can you drink?" Naruto asked in surprise as he watched Tsunade down another bottle of sake.

"A lot more then that, I assure you." Jiraiya answered for her. "This is just her warm up."

"Yeah, I can drink more then you ever could, still holding a grudge over it?" Tsunade asked as she grabbed a new bottle.

"Not really, just warning the kid here about your liquor habits. He's never met a heavy drinker in his life."

"Whatever. Are you gonna tell me what you want or are we gonna play ball all night long?" Tsunade asked. Her cheeks were starting to turn slightly red and Jiraiya noticed the change in her speaking pattern; the alcohol was already beginning to have an effect on her.

'That'll make it a bit easier on me, just as long as she's not completely wasted' he thought.

"I'll be too the point then. Tsunade, the hidden village of Konoha asks that you return to the village to heal the Third Hokage. And they also request that you take up the position of Fifth Hokage."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelled extremely loud as Tsunade send him a strange glance. "You want this drunk to be the next Hokage? You never said anything about that!"

"Drop it kid, this decision was made by the Council of Elders; it's a decision that you can't object too. They want Tsunade for the Fifth and that's that."

"Forget it." The blond woman suddenly said. "You know how much I hate that village and everything that happened there. I won't go back just 'cause someone asks me too. But tell me, was it Orochimaru who injured Sarutobi-sensei?"

"Yes it was, how'd you guess?" Jiraiya asked as he focused his attention on his former teammate.

"I didn't. I'm meeting quite a few old friends today; Orochimaru told me that he'd killed Sensei, but you're saying he's still alive. Which is it?"

"Orochimaru probably thought that he'd killed Sensei then. He fought with him little over three months ago and critically wounded him, but Kakashi and Gai chased him off. The medics are able to stabilize him now, but they can't heal his injuries. For that, we need you're amazing expertise."

"So he wasn't killed…" Tsunade said before downing another bottle of strong alcohol. "Quite a shame then."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he stood up in anger.

"Shut it brat!" Tsunade yelled in return as she put her bottle down. "A measure of a Shinobi is counted by how he dies, not how he lives. And now, the great Third Hokage, the legendary Professor, will die in a hospital bed of injuries rather then being killed in a legendary battle for his village's sake. It would have been better if he'd have died in battle…"

"No it wouldn't have." Naruto stated. "How is it good if anyone dies when you know you can save them? You're supposed to be this great medic, but you're nothing! You won't even save one life when you're given the chance? Forget it then; even if you were named the Hokage, I wouldn't recognize you as my leader! Not a heartless and uncaring person like you!"

'He's gonna get killed if he keeps this up? Tsunade is getting more and more pissed by the second…" Jiraiya thought. 'But maybe she needs to see a little passion again, I could always step in when things got really bad.'

"Brat, you've got guts I'll give you that. But tell me, do you know why the Fourth was hailed as a hero, remembered as the greatest Hokage there was? Why are the First and Second hailed as great warriors? Because each of them died for that stupid village. I won't go back just because of an old man that didn't understand his own limits. Now, like the other 3 fools, he'll die for his beloved village. But he won't be remembered for it. He'll be hailed as the Hokage who died in a bed, like the old idiot he was."

"AARGH!" Naruto shouted as he suddenly jumped at the other blond. Before he was even able to touch anything, Jiraiya had grabbed him and held him in the air. Tsunade only smiled a dark smile at him as he struggled against the hold.

"Naruto, calm down." The Toad Sage said. "It won't do you any good to get even more injured with your arm in its current state."

"I don't care!" the boy yelled. "This old Hag insulted the Fourth and even all the other Hokages! I won't let her go unpunished!"

"An amusing kid you have her Jiraiya. But if you want to fight me so badly, why don't we take this outside? I'll humor you for a bit you punk."

'She's pissed he called her a hag. You're in for it now Naruto.' Jiraiya thought as he dragged his student outside. Tsunade and Shizune were right behind them. Shizune looked more worried then anything else.

"Tell you what kid; I'll make you a deal. I like a gamble every now and then"

"More like every chance possible!" Jiraiya suddenly interrupted.

"Shut it you old pervert! Anyway, like I was saying, how about we make a gamble. I'll fight with only one finger and if you manage to touch me or force me to use more then that and I'll consider to heal Sarutobi-sensei. Manage both and I'll heal him for sure. And if you somehow manage to beat me, I'll heal him and return to Konoha and offer them my services again."

"You're on!" Naruto shouted, not even listening to the other side of the consequences.

"But!" Tsunade said with a confident look, "If you loose, then this will be mine." She suddenly pulled out Naruto's wallet, still filled with money.

"WHAT! But how, when did you… you're going down!" he shouted as he charged. With his left, he grabbed two kunai and shuriken and threw them. Not being able to use his preferred arm in a fight reduced his accuracy quite a bit, but at least they went in the general direction he wanted them to go.

Tsunade didn't even bother to dodge the badly thrown weapons and instead stepped forward to counter Naruto's charge. True to her word, she only used one finger from her right hand, but with one movement she had him flying and crashing into the ground a good 20 meters away from her.

"What's this kid? Taking it easy on me or something? Think you can 'take me down' without using your right arm? I'm the one who's toying here, you'd better get serious."

"Tsunade, he IS serious right now." Jiraiya said as Naruto struggled to his feet again. "He's damaged his right arm to the extreme when he was fighting off the invasion of Konoha. I thought you might be interested in seeing him for a bit. It's the most extreme cause of Chakra Coil overstraining that you've ever seen."

'Damnit… she did this with only one finger?' Naruto thought as he crashed to the ground again. 'I can't even see straight anymore and I can't stay standing… she can do this much when she's drunk? She's strong…'

"Then I guess, there's no other choice then to do this!" he said out loud, struggling to stay standing. He raised his left hand and focused Chakra in it. A second later the chakra was spinning around in circles, crossing each other at various angles. It was nowhere near the perfect orb that Ero-Sennin had shown him, but it would have to do.

"What! Jiraiya, you've taught this brat the Rasengan?" Tsunade asked with surprise as she recognized the attack.

"Yeah, but right now your attention should be on him, not me."

Naruto was charging, headfirst again, at the older woman.

'I can't allow him to close up on me with that attack! Even in its incomplete stage it's a powerful and damaging move.'

She slammed her finger into the ground, creating a fissure in the process. Naruto collapsed as the earth opened underneath his right foot.

'Noo! I won't go down that easy!' he thought in desperate determination. He knew he couldn't form another attack like this anytime soon, he was too exhausted. In instinct, driven by the desire not to lose, Naruto slammed his right hand down on the floor. The push was strong enough for Naruto to regain some speed as he stepped to the side of the crack.

Tsunade suddenly stepped forward, towards Naruto, pushed her finger into his shoulder before the younger blond could react, and forced him onto his back and into the ground… hard.

The force of the impact with the ground was enough to knock the youngster out cold.

Tsunade, her face in an angry scowl, turned her head to the side only to see that Jiraiya was also shocked.

"I thought you said he had extreme chakra coil overstraining? Then how the hell was he able to pull that push-off with so much force?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." Jiraiya answered. "This kid had literally blown the chakra system in his right arm to bits when he punched through a 4-point barrier. The medics were surprised that his muscles weren't destroyed after what he pulled. The odd things was that the nerves were destroyed as well, but for some reason he was able to feel things in his arms after a week or so. And lately he's even been able to feel it when his right-hand touches something. But this is the first I've seen him actually move his hand by himself."

"Whatever, you got me interested in him. I'm going to the bathroom for now, and then I'll check him out for a bit."

A few minutes later, Tsunade had a green flow on her fingers as she scanned over Naruto's body. Her face switched from a frown, to surprise and even shock as she scanned his right arm.

When she was done, she stood up and addressed her assistant.

"Shizune, take this kid to our hotel room. He won't require any medical attention right away; he has no serious injuries and only needs to rest for a bit. Jiraiya, let's go to a bar and talk for a bit."

"Whenever you say something like that, it usually means trouble and a beating for me, slug-princess."

XxX

Shizune carried Naruto on her back to the hotel as thoughts raced through her head.

'We've met with both of the Sannin today, while Tsunade-sama didn't want to encounter anyone from the Leaf anymore. And what's more, I fear that Orochimaru's proposal may be too much for Tsunade-sama's heart. She is tired of this loneliness that she forces herself into after my uncle died. And then there's this boy… Tsunade-sama's entire endeavor changed when she saw him and his reactions. Even more so when he did that attack with the swirling chakra.'

She didn't say anything as she calmly walked, the blond boy on her back, and analyzed everything that had happened in the past day.

'Who knows, maybe Tsunade-sama will choose to return to Konoha. I kind of miss the village.'

XxX

"Why were you so shocked when you saw him pull of the Rasengan?" Jiraiya asked as he poured a cup for his old teammate.

"Straight to the point huh? Couldn't you guess?" Tsunade asked in return. "The answer should be obvious to anyone who's known me before the Second Ninja War"

"True, true." The Toad-sage answered as he took a sip of his own liquor. "He looks a lot like him, even behaves the same. They have the same strong eyes and great dream. I'd guess that when he used the Rasengan you were reminded of facing Minato. There's a very big difference between thinking you're facing Minato or you're facing Nawaki."

"I don't need to be reminded of when I sparred with your brat ok. You don't have to keep rubbing it in that he beat me a few times. But onto the more current matters; why did you teach a brat like him the Rasengan?"

"Why else? It's his birthright to learn it; he's already learned how to summon toads as well as using a small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra. And he needed a powerful technique that could be used repeatedly and still cause a massive amount of damage to an enemy."

"Ok, but before I ask you about what sort of enemies you're talking about, I want to ask you a few questions about the kid's state."

"Sure, shoot. I suppose you'll want to know exactly what happened to his arm." he took another sip before moving to refill his cup.

"I'll come to that in a second. But there's something else that I noticed and want some answers on first; is there anyone that's been following you for a long period of time? Like say, the past 3 months?" as she spoke, she placed the sake-cup down and looked at her old teammate directly.

"Not that I've noticed. We had some trouble just after we left Konoha, but other then that there was nothing going on. Why?" noticing the sudden seriousness in the woman, Jiraiya also set down his cup

"Because somehow, there were about 20 different poisons in Naruto's blood. Nothing really lethal, but it still spiked my curiosity."

"Well, I don't know of anyone who had gotten close enough to poison our meals. It might mean we're in for some really big trouble…" Jiraiya looked away, but Tsunade did catch the sudden nervousness in his behavior.

'Got you now, you old perv.' She smiled as sweetly as she could. It was a smile that Jiraiya knew very well and had always associated with a trashing coming up soon.

"Then I'm really surprised at how kind his enemies are. Or maybe the ninja world changed so much since I left that a laxative is now a serious poison that'll put a ninja out of commission for a few weeks. I mean, if an enemy is skilled enough to get past YOU of all people, I didn't think they'd only make him spent a few hours in the crapper rather then kill him. Wouldn't you agree, Toady?"

"All right," Jiraiya sighed as he gave in. "I gave him a few weak things to test out his immunity every now and then. I was interested in the effects that Kyuubi's presence would have on his performance as a ninja. I already knew he has massive chakra capacity, even on his own, and his healing rate is advanced. But I didn't dare use anything TOO potent out of fear that it would have a strong reaction with Kyuubi's chakra that I couldn't undo. I wanted to wait for that when I had a good medic with me to ensure his survival."

"I see. And what did you find out from that?"

"He has a pretty high immunity to poisons; in most cases they'll have either a reduced effect or none at all. And he builds up a near complete immunity to something after he suffered the effects once. A strong laxative, that would normally cause an adult about 2 weeks of trouble, will only cause him to have a mild case of diarrhea for about an hour or two. A sleeping drug will make him sleep a bit heavier and maybe 30 minutes longer, but that's it."

They both took another sip of sake, before Jiraiya spoke up again.

"But how did you find out? I mean you didn't really do a thorough blood-check on him when you were checking his medical signs. The jutsu you use for specific blood diagnostics is very different from the one you used on Naruto."

"True, but I'd manage to collect a blood-sample when I was fighting him and I checked it out when I was in the bathroom. I wanted to check whether he really was the kid of Minato. And I was also curious why he was so extremely disoriented for a few seconds after my attack. His sense of balance should have been affected by the finger-flick, but nothing else."

"That was most likely due to exhaustion from his training today, along with the poisons in his body. I'm pleased to see that you still didn't lose your touch though. I never noticed that you'd taken a blood sample in that little show. Now let's move on shall we?"

"Yes, lets. What exactly happened and how did he over exhaust his arm like that?"

"I'll tell you all the juicy details, but afterwards tell me everything you've found when you diagnosed him and what you think is going on."

"Sure, now start talking." Tsunade poured herself another drink as Jiraiya started explaining.

"The kid had his first chuunin exams a few months back. I'd encountered him just as I was coming back to Konoha to tell sensei of some big trouble that would be coming up. He found me before I could contact Sensei and I recognized him as Minato's kid so I gave him a few tests. It took him a lot of time, but he passed them all and I taught him how to control Kyuubi's chakra in the meantime. I was arming him to face up to every possible threat, even if they would be far stronger then he was.

It was a good thing too, because a few days after I was done with teaching him the summoning and how to use the Fox's power, he had to fight another Jinchuuriki in the middle of the stadium where the Chuunin exams were held. He managed to win, but in the process had to use an insane burst of chakra from his right arm, all released at once. Kakashi explained it to me as Naruto literally causing an explosion of Chakra from within his arm. When he pulled that of for the first time, he defeated the Jinchuuriki of the one-tail. A shinobi from the Sand called Gaara."

"Yeah, I've heard some rumors of him. A pretty strong guy for his age, supposedly undefeated and untouched for his entire life. Guess his reputation was kinda exaggerated."

"Maybe, he was pretty strong and had a very useful ability thanks to the demon sealed inside him. But at any rate," another cup of sake flowed through the aged shinobi's experienced throat, "just after their fight was over, Orochimaru launched his attack on the village. He had sealed himself and Sensei in a 4-point barrier of some sort, Kakashi didn't know it. He used that attack of his again and completely destroyed both layers of the barrier as well as cause quite some damage on one of Orochimaru's personal guard. However, this time around the strain on his chakra coils became too much. He'd been fighting that Gaara kid for about half an hour with Kyuubi's chakra already, and then he pulled that stunt off twice in about ten minutes. Even his body had its limits."

"I see. So he also has some of Kushina's attributes then. She also never knew her limits. But about what I found, it was pretty strange. The bones haven't been affected at all, but the muscles were all busy restoring and strengthening themselves in a way I've never seen before. Their different on muscle fiber level then any other type of muscle I've ever seen. He has double the muscle fibers in most of the muscles in his arm and they're neither of the two common types. I'd say they're a combination; they can create a lot of force quickly and keep it up for a while as well.

But there's more. His nerves, blood vessels and chakra circulation system are all different from what they should be. He has much more blood vessels and chakra tubes running through his arms, his nerves cover much more areas and appear to be much more sensitive and speedy then normal. But that's only in his upper arm for now, his lower arm also shows some changes but nothing as drastic"

"And what exactly would you mean by that?" Jiraiya had focused all of his attention on the medic before him. "What would the effects be if his arm is changed like that?"

"Well, the obvious changes would be in the amount of power his arm has. As he showed us, he has much more muscle power in that one arm then he should have. Add to that the fact that his muscles will receive a lot of extra blood to increase the amount of oxygen and feeding they receive and it'll be quite a while before he exhausts himself. But with his chakra coils as enhanced as they are in that arm, he will also be able to seriously increase the amount of chakra that's flowing through his arm, increasing his power even more. There could be some more effects but I'm not sure yet."

"Sounds pretty amazing. But why do you think his body healed like that?"

"If I had to take a guess, I'd say it was probably because of the Kyuubi." Tsunade said as she poured the last cup of sake from the bottle.

"But how? The Kyuubi's chakra couldn't reach his muscles before, since you say that the Chakra coils had only recently re-grown in his lower arm. How come his muscles didn't decrease in power or anything?"

"He's had the Kyuubi in his body since he was but a baby, the chakra had intermingled with his over the years. That allowed him to heal much faster then any normal person. Most likely his muscles had created storages of chakra along with the other materials they need to function. And with the Kyuubi's immense power in it, the muscles wouldn't suffer atrophy either. They'd retain their original size and power, until the chakra was reconnected. At that point, they apparently improved because of the increase in chakra. The muscles adapt to that new source of power and change to be able to store the same amounts of chakra as before. The same is probably true about his nerves and chakra coils, but I'll have to keep him under surveillance for a while to make sure."

"So he'll have a powerful weapon at his disposal then. Maybe even on the same level as a bloodline limit?"

"Perhaps." The last of the sake now disappeared through Tsunade's mouth but she didn't order anymore. "But there's a pretty disastrous disadvantage. With the way his nerves have enhanced, he can react much faster with his arm. It'll take him a while to get used to it, but before then he won't even be able to suppress the most basic of reflexes until his brain can regain control over the nerves and muscles in his arm."

"Yes, but that's something that he'll learn with time. It won't be that much of a problem in the long run."

"No, that won't be. But the real problem in the long run would be that he can't use that arm at all."

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't he be able to use it?"

"Because, like I said before, the nerves are much more sensitive and transport the information much quicker. That means that his arm will be extremely sensitive, and he'll probably experience any sensation, like for example pain, far worse then they would be in real life. He can't punch someone if he feels like he's destroying all the bones in his hand every time he connects with someone and he won't try to block when it feels like every touch on his arm will crack his bones in two or tear his ligaments apart. It's a powerful weapon, but not one that can be used."

* * *

A/N: enter Tsunade, the great medic. the truth about Naruto's arm is revealed at last and Tsunade remembers some of her good memories of the Leaf.

thanks as always to my beta, Zephyr-Tai-Ji for helping me out. hope you all enjoyed the interaction between Jiraiya and Tsunade.

as always reviews are very welcome.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto. never have owned, never will. It all belongs to others who make actual money out of it.

* * *

"I wonder what Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are doing? They're staying out an awfully long time." Shizune wondered out loud. She had been sitting in a chair in the hotel room, watching Naruto sleep for the past few hours.

'He looks like he really needed it too.' She thought while looking at his relaxed face. 'But it's really surprising how much he looks like Nawaki-kun. Although he also resembles the Fourth Hokage quite a lot, that jaw line and those golden locks… it's as if they were related.'

She had noticed, in the past hours while waiting, that Naruto was a strangely quite sleeper. He hardly shifted or turned in his sleep and when he did he never rolled onto his right arm.

XxX

"So now that we've finished discussing what happened to his arm, how about you tell me about these enemies of his?" Tsunade suggested as she ate a small snack that had come with the sake. The spicy taste reminding her to get some particularly sharp herbs for a flesh wound salve.

"Yeah, ok I'll tell you." Jiraiya began before moving closer and whispering in her ear. "Have you ever heard of a group called Akatsuki?"

Tsunade's face darkened as well. This subject was very serious.

"Yeah I remember hearing a bit about it. Wasn't Orochimaru part of it? Are they after Konoha now?"

"Yes and no." the answer came. "Orochimaru was part of Akatsuki at one point but left the group after Itachi joined. I'm not really sure about the reason but I'm guessing it had something to do with Orochimaru's experiments on human bodies. And Akatsuki isn't after Konoha. They're after Naruto and, from what I hear, after several other jinchuuriki as well. I've managed to discover that Kumo has a Jinchuuriki of their own, but I can't discover who it is or what demon they sealed. They're keeping it a very closely guarded secret. Same with Kiri."

"I see…" Tsunade was in deep thought for a few seconds before continuing. "What else do you know about them? Any other members or their goal or anything?"

"There are three members I'm quite sure of that are part of Akatsuki, another two I'm guessing for and the rest I don't know. I do know that they are all S-rank shinobi and all are missing-nin. I know for a fact that Uchiha Itachi, Hoshigaki Kisame and Sasori of the Red Sand are members. And I've heard rumors of two other members that sound similar to Deidara the Terrorist Bomber and Zetsu of the Plants. The others I can't seem to find anything about."

He'd laid out all his cards, now it was time for the Slug-Princess to continue on with the game.

"Impressive. He has some powerful opponents at his age. And there will only be more now that he's defeated Gaara of the Desert."

"True, but right now that victory over Gaara is the only thing that's keeping the other countries from invading Konoha. They fear that Naruto is a new shinobi on the same level as the Fourth and could thus destroy an entire army the moment they arrive. We need something else, something more stable, to turn the tides in our favor and prevent other nations from attacking. I know that some villages are just itching to get rid of Konoha .And Konoha needs a new Hokage…"

"I know what you want, but you know how I think about Konoha. I'm never going back after everything that's happened back then."

"So instead you're going to take up Orochimaru's offer?" Tsunade's face turned into shock at Jiraiya's statement.

"Wha… how did you?"

"Shizune." He answered easily. "Her worries were obvious and the look on her face made me think that Orochimaru must have made you a tempting deal. But let me make one thing very clear to you."

The two Sannin looked at each other, extremely serious despite the amount of alcohol they had taken as Jiraiya continued.

"The Hokages of the past were all brave and noble souls who lived to defend the village. They ruled in times of trouble but still managed to let the village grow with prosperity. And for that dream, that ideal, they would gladly risk their lives. As a Shinobi, you should understand their feelings, just like every other Shinobi does. A Shinobi lives only for one purpose, be it battle, healing, dying, serving the village or something completely different. There was once a point where the three of us would gladly lay down our lives to protect Konoha. And I still feel that way. Therefore I'll say this now, if you ever do anything to betray or damage Konoha… I'll kill you."

"It has nothing to do with me." Tsunade answered. They both knew that Jiraiya's threat was not an idle one.

"It does. You are a kind person, you always have been. Since when do you not care about people around you dying? You became a medic to ensure that casualties were kept to an absolute minimum. But now you suddenly claim that you'll let Sensei die? Who are you trying to fool Tsunade?"

"Will you stop it already? I don't need you to lecture me!" she yelled before Jiraiya could continue. She stood up and started walking away before stopping and asking one more question.

"What was the real reason you brought Naruto along? Was it only to convince me?"

"No. I brought him along because I want to train him. I believe in him. He has a strange ability to make people believe his dreams. But yes, I also brought him along in hopes that he would be able to relight some fire in you. He's very good in doing that, you know."

"Yeah, I noticed." Tsunade asked as she fingered her necklace nervously.

XxX

"So what exactly do you expect Tsunade-sama to do?" the silver-haired man asked as he bowed to his master.

"She will accept. She was always too soft-hearted to let the past go." Orochimaru answered with confidence. "I know her weaknesses like no other, she will certainly agree."

"But what if she somehow decides to not go along?" Kabuto carefully asked.

"Then I have you to help 'persuade' her. She will heal my arms, whether she likes it or not."

XxX

"So, what exactly are you doing to him Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked with interest as Tsunade was slowly moving her glowing hand over Naruto's arm while he slept.

"I'm guiding the chakra to increase the recovery rate. With a little luck he should have full control over his muscles and reflexes in little over a month. Without any help his arm would be completely useless for another three months. Now let me concentrate while I do my job."

"Yes Tsunade-sama." she agreed before sitting down in a chair and waiting for her teacher to finish her treatment. Throughout it all, Naruto never woke up.

"He'll need a lot of treatments similar to this, I can write down what has to be done for the medics in Konoha."

"Is it possible to heal Orochimaru's injuries?" Shizune suddenly asked, curiosity spurring her outburst.

The blonde medic didn't even look phased at the sudden question, instead simply continuing with her treatment while she answered.

"I think so. It'll be very tricky; especially since the plexus brachialis was destroyed for the most part. It will take something different from traditional healing. Instead of supporting the recovery rate like most medical Ninjutsu do, the lost tissue will have to be completely recreated. I don't think there is anyone other then me who has the knowledge to do that without exacerbating the situation."

"I see. But what would be the rate of success in such an operation?" Tsunade didn't fail to pick up the slightly hopeful tone in her apprentice's voice, but she couldn't blame her for it either.

"It will be probably be somewhere around 25 chance of success, 30 if Orochimaru has some of the equipment I need and skillful assistants."

Tsunade had finished the movement down Naruto's arm and now moved her hand back to his shoulder. Most of her attention was focused on Naruto's arm, while most of Shizune's attention was on Tsunade.

Neither noticed Naruto's right eye suddenly opening.

"And what of the Hokage? How would you deem his chances of recovery?"

"If the normal medics in Konoha can stabilize him then, with my help, I'd say the chance of recovery is around 60 percent. But even if he does recover, the injury he's received will mean the rest of his life will soon be over."

"But he can be saved right?" again the hope was in the young woman's voice. She still remembered him finding her when she got lost at age 6.

"Of course he can!" Naruto suddenly shouted, shocking both women. "You say that he has a really good chance if you help him right? Then go and heal him already! You're a medic aren't you? So why won't go and heal him?"

"You don't have the right to say anything about that brat, you lost our bet." Tsunade bit at him. "You had to make me use more then one finger or hit me at least once. Then I'd go back to Konoha with you."

"Then let's make a new bet!" Naruto exclaimed. "If I win, you go back to the village and heal the old man!"

"And if I win?" Tsunade asked. "Don't forget I already have all the money you have from our previous bet."

"Ehm." Naruto was suddenly looking surprised. He hadn't thought of that yet. "If you win I'll do anything you say." He exclaimed.

"What's this? You'll do anything I say? Risking your freedom on a bet? You're almost thinking like a gambler kid." Tsunade asked with surprise.

"But how's this: if I win, you'll do anything I say for the rest of your life without question. If you win, I'll go back to Konoha with you and heal the old man."

She thought for a second, fingering the amulet held just above her breasts, before continuing.

"And I'll even throw this necklace in. you win, you get this." She said as she showed the green stone to the hyperactive blond. "And before you start complaining, you should know this amulet belonged to the First Hokage and is unique. The worth can't be estimated in money." She added as he looked like he was about to complain.

"Ok then." Now the look on his face was pretty money-hungry. "What's the bet?" Naruto asked. Both Tsunade and Shizune face-faulted.

'He's the one challenging Tsunade-sama…He should be telling her what the bet is.' Shizune thought with amusement.

"Ok, how's this." Tsunade exclaimed after a few seconds of thought. "That technique you used against me; the Rasengan… if you can master it within the week you win the bet. If you don't, I win. Simple bet isn't it?"

Before even thinking about it, Naruto instantly shouted "YOU'RE ON!"

Tsunade couldn't help but smile softly as she continued her treatment of Naruto's arm.

'They really are just alike…' she mused silently.

Outside of the room, Jiraiya was standing next to the door, having heard the entire conversation from when Shizune asked about Orochimaru's recovery rate. He too was smiling at his student's antics… and success.

'Way to go kid, keep this up and she'll be back to the old Slugger in no time…"

XxX

The next couple of days passed by quickly. Tsunade treated Naruto's arm three times a day, usually after breakfast, lunch and dinner, Jiraiya had been trying to convince Tsunade some more while talking with her all the time and Shizune kept an eye on Naruto's training.

'It's impressive how much he has adapted to using only his left hand in the past few weeks.' She thought as she saw Naruto train. 'If Tsunade-sama's theory is right, Naruto-kun will be almost ambidextrous by the time his arm is restored to functionality. Or maybe even gain a preference for his left arm.'

"Oh man, again?!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed.

The balloon he was using had popped again. Naruto's normal training regime would be to do the balloon training in the morning, until lunchtime, and afterwards spend the rest of the day doing the 'real' Rasengan and trying to destroy the trees. But, even though for the past three days the balloon kept popping all the time, Shizune had noticed a significant increase. The balloons now wouldn't pop for at least half a minute, and when they did pop, they did so with much more force then before; on more then one occasion Naruto himself had been blown away when it had popped.

It also hadn't escaped her attention that Naruto's left arm was shaking a lot during times of not training. It made it near impossible for him to eat yesterday, until Tsunade-sama had paid a bit of attention to his left arm as well.

But there has been just as significant a change in Tsunade, at least from Shizune's perspective. 'She's become much livelier; she's often bickering with Naruto-kun with obvious amusement and all the time she spends with Jiraiya-sama seems to do her a lot of good as well. But I can see that she still has doubts about Orochimaru's offer. Not that I can blame her,' the black haired woman mentally added to her inner rant, 'I also wouldn't mind seeing Uncle Dan again. Or meeting with Nawaki-kun, after the things that Tsunade-sama told me of him'

XxX

"Crap… I only have one day left…" Naruto was struggling to his feet, burns all over his body, as Shizune watched him try yet another Rasengan. He rushed towards the tree he was using as a target, but never reached it. The Rasengan exploded in his hand while running, shooting Naruto away a good twenty meters, right into a big rock. The hyperactive blond was knocked out on impact.

"Naruto-kun!" Shizune rushed over to him and, after a quick diagnostic Ninjutsu on his head, sighed with relief. "No serious damage done. He's only knocked out and has a minor concussion. He'll be restore by morning… and it is time for bed by now." she bent down and picked the blond up as she had been doing every day the past week. Naruto, it seemed, was never satisfied unless he passed out from his training.

But Shizune had other things on her mind then Naruto's unhealthy training methods as she walked back.

Tomorrow was the day that Orochimaru and that spectacle-wearing assistant of his would return for their answer.

'I can only hope that Naruto-kun and Jiraiya-sama's efforts were strong enough to convince Tsunade-sama… I don't even want to think about Tsunade-sama taking Orochimaru's offer…'

XxX

Naruto awake the next morning and, like always there were no injuries remaining. He layed there for a second before remembering what day it was.

"Oh crap! Today's the day of the bet!" he jumped out of bed quickly, hoping to sneak some additional training in before meeting with Tsunade-baa-chan. But instead of landing on the ground, like he expected, he landed on something soft and warm… something that was moving.

Looking down, Naruto noticed that he had landed right on Shizune's stomach and she had woken up from Naruto's sudden landing. Like Naruto, Shizune instantly shot up and started shouting for Tsunade. It took her a moment to realize that Naruto wasn't Tsunade, and then she quickly recovered and told Naruto that they had to find the senior medic.

But Shizune had barely opened the window when a kunai can flying by and forced her to withdraw her head.

XxX

"So, Tsunade… what is your answer?" Orochimaru's creepy voice could be heard from down the alley where Tsunade was standing.

"Where's your assistant?" Tsunade asked as her old teammate revealed himself. "I thought he would be here to learn something as well. I had the feeling he was a medical ninja much like myself."

"Kuh kuh kuh… sharp as always Tsunade. He is attending other business right now but will be joining us shortly. Now I would like to hear your answer to my request."

"I want to change the deal." Tsunade surprised her teammate with the sudden request. "If I heal your arms, promise me that you will never again bother Konoha. If you can promise me that, with honesty, I will heal your arms."

"Kuh kuh kuh…" Orochimaru chuckled. "Why the sudden change of heart? Would you not prefer to see your two loved ones again?"

"I want to see them more then anything." Tsunade would be the first one to admit her desire to be with the two most important men in her life again as she hung her head in shame. "But, if I would be rejoined with them at the cost of Konoha… at the cost of the village that they both loved with their entire body, heart and soul… they would be disgusted by me. Even if you don't revive them, I will heal your arms if you can truly promise me that you will never again harm Konoha… that's all I ask." She pleaded with her old teammate.

Orochimaru hesitated for a second, he knew he wouldn't (Silly mistake that,) be able to lie to his old teammate. No matter how skilled he was with lying and cheating, Tsunade was far more skilled at discovering when anyone else in the world with reading people. It was near impossible to lie in her face; she never missed that slight twitch that everyone had when they lied.

"I can not promise that… I will destroy Konoha without fail." Orochimaru stated, completely honest for once.

"Why not? Why must you destroy the village that we are all from? Are you really that vein that you still hold a grudge over not becoming Hokage?!" Tsunade yelled, not raising her head from the ground.

"Do you really believe that I would wage war over the position of Hokage?" Orochimaru asked in surprised amusement. "You're wrong. I couldn't care less about that stupid name." Orochimaru almost echoed Tsunade's words from a week before.

"I will destroy Konoha because they are a threat to my plans." He explained. "When I've destroyed the shinobi of Konoha, I will use the scrolls they have in the village to learn the Ninjutsu that I had not yet learned. And after Konoha, Suna and the other great villages will soon follow…

In the end I will have destroyed the 5 Great Shinobi Nations and use their scrolls and knowledge to learn all of their Ninjutsu. In the end, I will be remaining as the strongest shinobi. I will be the only one who will be immortal, I will know all Ninjutsu in the world. I will be a god among humans!" as he ended his explanation, there was an obvious look of wanting in his eyes. He was too hungry for power then anyone Tsunade had ever met.

"That's insane…" Tsunade said with venom in her voice as she raised her head and faced her old teammate. "But it's a shame… if that is what you hope to reach; I will ensure you never reach it. Because THIS WILL BE YOUR GRAVEYARD!"

* * *

A/N:

Next time we will have the battle between the Sannin, Naruto, Shizune and Kabuto. I promise I'll do my best to keep it short (especially compared to the Naruto VS Gaara fight…).

As for Nerosparda and VFSNAKE's question about DMC4's Nero's arm;

My Beta (zephyr-tai-ji) made a similar remark, because the idea I have planned out is (according to him) similar to Nero's Devil Bringer arm. I myself have never played any of the DMC games and I had this idea for Naruto's arm long before DMC4 was ever released or even revealed. and no, Naruto will not get any sort of mutation to his right arm, you'll have to wait and see what he does to make his arm useable (if he ever succeeds in doing that of course...)

Also, silentx (anonymous) makes a good comment about Tsunade's Hemophobia:

Tsunade is indeed afraid of blood but, like most fears, she can manage if the blood is in a very small quantity (she only took 2 or 3 drops) and not dripping like it did from Orochimaru's finger.

Many thanks to my beta Zephyr-Tai-Ji who helped me out a lot with this chapter.

As always, please review to tell me what you think of this chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to the Narutoverse. So don't sue me.

* * *

"You've got some guts, Ero-Sennin. Always bragging about how great you are, but you ended up getting poisoned like a rookie."

Naruto was complaining to his teacher while the two of them and Shizune were rushing towards the location where Tsunade had arranged to meet with Orochimaru.

"Shut it brat. Tsunade's the best, she's the only one who could make a poison that no-one would be able to notice. And I don't think you have any right to complain about someone being poisoned…"

"What do you m…" Naruto started to ask.

"We don't have time for this!" Shizune interrupted. "We must hurry. I fear that Tsunade-sama will need our help."

'I'm still worried about Tsunade poisoning me. What was going through her head yesterday?'

A few seconds later, the trio arrived at the arranged meeting spot. The looks of the street left little to the imagination of what had happened here.

The entire street was in ruins and two walls had actually been completely leveled.

"Looks like Tsunade declined his offer after all." Jiraiya said with obvious relief. 'Looks like I won't have to kill her.'

"Yes. Thank goodness she did." Shizune instantly let out a breath, obviously relieved as well. "But we have to follow her. From the looks of it, the fight only moved away from here; there are no bodies or anything around. Ton-Ton, hurry! Can you smell where Tsunade-sama went?"

"I don't think there's a need for that." Naruto suddenly said from somewhere above Shizune. He had climbed to the top of a tower nearby and shouted towards the two older ninja.

"There are pretty big craters every couple hundred meters and I'm pretty sure they weren't here last week." He said as he jumped down.

"The trail's leading over there." He said as he pointed to the right. "Let's go!"

As Naruto jumped off, Jiraiya stopped for a second and thought about what Naruto had just did.

'Not only did he use his head instead of rushing out randomly, he effectively scouted out a good area around us and scanned for the best path to take. Is he actually starting to think before acting? And besides that, he could move his right arm without too many problems… at least from the shoulder that is. How much has Tsunade advanced with her treatments?'

XxX

"Kuh, kuh kuh, what do you think, Tsunade? Quite an impressive assistant I have, wouldn't you agree?" Orochimaru chuckled as he watched the fight between Kabuto and his old teammate. Kabuto had only just recovered his movements after Tsunade disrupted his nervous system and the Great Slug-Princess herself was still trying to heal the torn muscles around her lungs, her left arm and the abdominal. Her lack of recent combat experience was truly showing.

"Kabuto, do it." He ordered with glee. Kabuto would disable her temporarily, she would be taken to one of his many bases, and there he would make sure that both he and Kabuto would learn every single one of her techniques. After all, every jutsu, even medical ones, would add to his power.

"It's over!" Kabuto yelled as he charged towards the still-kneeling blonde.

"For you!" a loud voice added as a trio of kunai, each with a tag attached, flew towards the silver-haired man from the side.

Kabuto instantly jumped to the skies, avoiding the kunai and the following explosions with ease. But he wasn't prepared for the sudden barrage of small needles that came shooting from the smoke of the explosion. His fall would barely allow him to evade most of them, but at least two would scratch him, maybe even penetrate his skin.

'I can't dodge! And my reaction isn't quick enough with my nerves distorted. Perhaps…' While dropping, he suddenly shook his right thigh roughly. The shake resulted in his kunai pouch popping open and all the shuriken and the kunai stored there, reserved for quickly drawing in battle, flying in the sky. The difference in mass allowed the objects to float in from of Kabuto for a second, deflecting the needles before Kabuto continued falling. But still one of the needles had managed to scratch the skin on his left thigh.

'Not good! That needle was poisoned… and it feels like a paralyzing poison.'

Guiding his chakra to the point of impact, Kabuto was able to form a chakra barrier around the poisoned area, but already half of his upper leg was infected. He would not be able to run or push off with his leg effectively until he managed to get the poison out of his system or find an antidote.

Landing back on the ground, crashing to his knees in the process, Kabuto looked at the smoke. Three figures had suddenly appeared before Tsunade. Kabuto recognized all three of them immediately.

Jiraiya, the legendary Toad Sannin and with Orochimaru-sama's current injury, the strongest Shinobi of the Three. But he was sweating rather heavily for some reason.

Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice and a jounin level shinobi. From their previous encounter, he knew she was good, but was no match for him under normal circumstances.

Naruto, the blond loudmouth that had been on the team with Uchiha Sasuke. When cornered he could become a force to be reckoned with, but Kabuto knew his right arm was currently useless. And with his arm out, no jutsu he could use and lack of experience, Naruto was the smallest threat on the battlefield.

"Well well… I didn't expect to see you here Naruto-kun." Kabuto exclaimed in amusement. If he could get Naruto to attack him before he released the Kyuubi's power, he could distract the others enough to get an opening.

"What the? Kabuto-san? What're you doing here?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise.

"Naruto, you know this four-ey-?" Jiraiya started, but was suddenly pushed aside by Tsunade who charged at Kabuto.

"TAKE THIS!" she shouted as blood suddenly flew everywhere.

"No thanks." Kabuto commented dryly as Tsunade crashed to her knees, covered in the blood from Kabuto's wrist. "I prefer my face in one piece if you don't mind. You can keep your punches to yourself."

With that, he delivered a full force punch to Tsunade's face, sending the medic flying back. Shizune instantly moved to catch her teacher before anything else could happen.

"What the? Why's Kabuto-san fighting Tsunade-baa-chan?" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. Behind them, Shizune was quickly moving to remove most of the blood for Tsunade's body, but the elder shinobi was trembling so bad, it wasn't helping much.

"Still thick as a book, Naruto-kun?" Kabuto taunted.

"Look carefully Naruto, that guy is a member of the Sound village, Oto." Jiraiya explained as he stood back up.

"Yep." Kabuto confidently admitted. "I was a spy from Oto, sent to Konoha to retrieve information and seek potential recruits."

"But…" Naruto looked stunned for a few seconds, abashed by this new information… this betrayal. "But, Kabuto-san… at that time in the exams… you…"

"Naruto-kun, that was an act, designed to gain your trust and learn more about you." Kabuto stated. "And from what I have seen of you, I have reached a conclusion: with the exception of pure combat power, you have no potential for becoming a ninja. You are unable to change tactics based on a new situation, you cannot leave your emotions out of the mission and fall for even the easiest of tricks. In other words, you will never survive as a shinobi."

"What did you say?" Naruto asked, his tone laced with anger and hatred.

"Oh please. Even if you look at me with a scary impression like that, with the Legendary Sannin here, you are nothing more then a hindrance, even with the Kyuubi at your disposal. Even with that monster inside of you, you're nothing more then an out-of-place genin, a little kid." Kabuto taunted Naruto even more, hoping to provoke a useable reaction. "So try anything while I have these much more important matters to attend… and I'll kill you."

"OH YEAH?!" Naruto yelled as he charged in without thinking.

"Stop, Naruto! You can't take a guy like him!" Jiraiya tried to stop him, but the poison in his body was preventing him from moving.

Naruto reached Kabuto, jumped to his opponent's right and tried to attack… but Kabuto was far ahead of him, quickly attacking the youngster with a quick jab to the stomach. Enhanced by the chakra scalpel, the attack would easily cut open Naruto's stomach, forcing him out of the battle.

'And then there was one.' Kabuto thought as he looked over the battlefield.

"Trying to face an obviously superior opponent with a significant handicap, such as a lost arm? You are even more foolhardy then I would have thought, Naruto-kun." He taunted as he kicked the blond teenager hard enough to send him flying.

Shizune jumped up and caught Naruto just like she had done with Tsunade, this time spitting some more needles towards Kabuto. He only barely managed to block them with his headband before jumping back to Orochimaru's side.

He quickly took a blood-replacement pill, along with a blood-stopping pill before turning to Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru-sama, I will need to remove the bandages from your left arm I'm afraid."

"Kuh, kuh, kuh, very well."

XxX

"Shizune, you deal with Glasses. I'll take on Orochimaru. Our conditions should equal each other out pretty well. Tsunade, you try to fix yourself with some medical jutsu and then stay back for a bit. I don't suppose you happen to have an antidote on you?"

When Tsunade didn't answer, Shizune spoke up instead.

"With Tsunade-sama in her current state, there's not much she can do. We'll have to wait for the poison to wear out by itself. And there's nothing I can do about Naruto-kun's injuries for now. I need to focus on healing them, but I can't in this situation."

"Don't worry. Naruto's natural healing will deal with an injury like that. He won't die for a while. Just give him something to numb the pain for now." Shizune quickly gave Naruto an injection in his neck, stood up and prepared to fight with Kabuto.

Both Jiraiya and Kabuto moved as one when they used an identical technique.

The Summoning technique.

Kabuto had quickly summoned two large snakes, each more then capable of demolishing a house, and he and Orochimaru stood proudly atop a snake each.

Jiraiya, on the other hand, had summoned an old 'friend' of Naruto's.

"Yo!" Gamakichi greeted the Toad Sannin with his trademark wave.

"Oh crap!" Jiraiya cursed out loud.

XxX

Some meters back from the actual fighting, Naruto was looking at the battle that was taking place with frustration. He couldn't feel the intense pain that was coursing through his abdomen mere moments before, but he couldn't move either. In fact, he couldn't feel anything from any point in his body.

'Whatever it was that Shizune-nee-chan had done, it was a bit too effective. I need to help Ero-Sennin; he messed up with his summoning.' But no matter what he tried, he couldn't move one bit. He was helpless as he looked Ero-Sennin call a swamp from nowhere and trapped both snakes. He and the Snake-bastard were duking it out on top of the snakes, too far for him to see clearly.

He could, however, clearly see the fight between Shizune-nee-chan and Kabuto. And it was not going in the favor of Shizune-nee-chan. The poison cloud she used should have bought her some time to heal her wounds. It looked like Shizune had taken some bad hits before.

As he watched, Naruto began to lift his head to see the fight better. He was shocked to see two hands suddenly erupt from the ground and grab Shizune around her ankles. Her knees suddenly gave way as she fell to the ground, screaming in pain and shock. Kabuto erupted from the ground beneath her, touched both her shoulders with his glowing hands and then turned his back on her. He was now slowly advancing towards Tsunade-baa-chan. And the old woman was still shivering on the ground, not reacting to what she was seeing in front of her.

'Damn it… I have to get up!' Naruto thought as he tried to move his arm. He still couldn't feel anything, but he had to try.

'Move! Move! Move! Move damnit! He mentally shouted as he kept trying to move his arms. 'If I don't move, the old lady's gonna get killed! I HAVE TO MOVE!'

XxX

Kabuto was taking his time in advancing towards Tsunade. With Jiraiya-sama out battling with Orochimaru-sama, Shizune down with her feet and arms useless for the time being, and Naruto still having his guts spilling inside his belly, there was no one who could stop him from capturing the shivering woman.

'Pathetic. This is the legendary woman that medic-ninjas all over the world look up to?' he thought with disappointment. 'At the very least you will die as a legend, with the world never knowing how pathetic you were in your final days.'

He pulled back his arm, readying himself for a strong blow to Tsunade's chest to reduce her air supply by cutting the muscles around her lungs even more. She didn't even move to evade as his fist moved towards the targeted area.

Just like before, blood was suddenly flying through the air, emitted from the medic's mouth. Kabuto was actually sent flying back, barely managing to land on his feet. He had never felt the punch approaching him with his guard down as much as it was.

Looking back to his previous location, Kabuto could see Naruto standing, with his right arm completely extended, his hand forming a fist.

'No way! He can use his right arm?' Kabuto thought with shock. He took a step forward, but instead of walking, his shins? instantly fell to the ground. 'The punch was strong enough to send a shock to me? I'll need a few seconds to recover.' He could see Naruto staggering, almost falling as well.

'He is barely holding out… this will be easy then.'

XxX

Naruto had no idea how he had been able to suddenly cross the distance to reach and punch Kabuto, but he had done so by some miracle. While he was still standing there, was another problem that quickly needed his attention.

'I still can't feel anything from below my neck.' He thought as he checked himself over mentally. 'I don't even know if I'm standing or falling… I don't think I can keep this up for long, I'll have to finish this in one go… I'll have to use the Rasengan, but I need to keep him still for a second while I attack…'

Looking down at his right, Naruto clenched both hands into a fist and prepared for the next couple of minutes.

"What're you doing? Get out of here Naruto!" Tsunade suddenly spoke from behind him, with panic in her voice. "He's far too strong for you to handle. If you keep fighting you'll die!"

"She's right, Naruto-kun." Kabuto said as he got up and stepped towards the two blondes. He was still having difficulties controlling his movements, but he was quickly recovering. "You were lucky with that attack you hit me with, but it looks like you're having difficulty simply standing. Get out of my way and I will let you live. Without the power of that demon you are nothing special. It was because of luck and chance that you became a genin, know your place when outmatched and stand down. If you wish to grow into a champion and Hokage, you would have to survive here, and the only way of doing that would be to escape from this fight. Can you do that?"

Naruto only glared at the silver-haired traitor, not saying anything. He wasn't close enough to attack yet, Naruto wouldn't stand a chance to cross the distance and attack.

Kabuto chuckled at Naruto's glare, his plan was working. He needed to buy time to fully recover and if he could get Naruto to become reckless with anger he would only have it so much easier to defeat the young boy.

"No, no, don't look at me like that. Those eyes will get you killed you know. And if you die here your dreams will never come true. I think that a decision like this is very simple for a kid like you. But with your dream, you can't back down from a fight like this, can you? In that case, just die and save me the problems."

"Why? Why do you keep fighting like that?" Tsunade suddenly asked Naruto in a whisper.

"Remember our bet, Baa-chan? I can't allow you to die here, I'm still gonna make you go back to Konoha to fix Sasuke and the Old Man… and I'll win that bad-luck pendant of yours for sure!" he looked down at his feet as he moved them, shifting his weight so he was standing as stable as he could.

"That's enough Naruto! Don't fight anymore for my sake! Get out of here already!" but Naruto didn't move, instead raising his arms for a fighting stance.

"I see…" Kabuto said. He could feel that he was now recovered from most of the damage to his nerve system; he only had to worry about his half-paralyzed left leg. But even with that handicap, he could easily take Naruto out.

"For that insolence and stubbornness, I'll give you death!" he shouted as he drew a kunai from the pouch on his waist and rushed forward.

"Naruto, if you die here you'll never reach your dreams or anything else!" Tsunade shouted as the younger blonde made no movement to evade. "That's enough! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"I can't." he said without looking back. As Kabuto reached him, Naruto threw out his left hand and grabbed the kunai that Kabuto rushed at him with. Blood was flying from his hand as he pulled Kabuto's hand to the side.

"Until I fulfill my real dream, I refuse to die!" he said as he looked at his right hand, hovering in front of his stomach.

'Tsunade-baa-chan said I could use my hand before long! I have to use that now… Ero-Sennin said that I would easily be able to pull the Rasengan off with my right if I could do it with my left… time to see if he was right!'

He focused on his right, willing the chakra in it to spin in his hand palm. For a second nothing happened but then, there was a sudden spin on his hand, coming from his wrist instead of the palm of his hand…

'Alright! Here I go, focus, focus, focus!' As Naruto focused everything he had on his right hand the chakra began spinning much stronger then it had ever done in his left. In a second the rotation had formed a perfect orb on his wrist, spinning so wild it looked perfectly round.

"Impossible…" Tsunade breathed in awe. "Don't tell me he's… that's impossible!"

'Not good! This looks dangerous.' Kabuto thought. He couldn't escape Naruto's iron grip. He quickly jabbed Naruto near his heart before he could strike, but he couldn't stop Naruto's movement anymore.

"Take this you bastard! RASENGAN!"

Naruto could only barely see that Kabuto had been send flying back by the complete Rasengan he had thrown, before he coughed up some blood and passed out cold.

XxX

Naruto was lost in the darkness of unconsciousness, but suddenly he felt something strange. There was something splashing in his face, and he could have sworn he felt a drop fall on his chest as well. With a shock, Naruto realized that he could suddenly feel some things again. There was a cold wind blowing on his chest, a familiar warmth glowing over his heart and something wet was falling… Struggling to regain consciousness, Naruto slowly managed to force his eyes open. He saw Tsunade standing over him, tears flowing down her face as a green glow came from her hands.

"Don't you dare… you can't die you moron…" she was mumbling as she focused more Chakra into her hands to heal his wounds. Remembering what had happened in the past few minutes; Naruto slowly started raising his left hand and encircled the necklace that was hanging from Tsunade's neck. His could see, but not feel, his fingers touching her neck for an instance and Tsunade looked at him with shock.

"Hey, Baa-chan …I won the bet. I finished the jutsu, so this necklace of yours is mine, right? And you're going back to the village with us." Tsunade looked at him with shock, but her face quickly turned to a look that had never been directed towards Naruto before.

Relief and happiness were obvious in her face as she smiled at Naruto. She drew her hands back and removed the necklace. Slowly putting it around Naruto's neck, she spoke up.

"You're right, you won. This necklace is yours… and I'll go back to the village with you. I'll keep my word. Isn't that what Hokage's should all do, Naruto?"

Raising a hand above his head, she used a medical Ninjutsu to make Naruto fall in a deep sleep before she turned around to battle, for the first and hopefully last time, her old teammate.

"Orochimaru, The Sandaime took your arms, the Yondaime took your position and now the Godaime will take your LIFE!"

* * *

A/N:

This chapter was kinda Kabuto-centric (I realized that after I had finished writing it) but all in all I think it turned out ok. As usual many thanks to both Zephyr-Tai-Ji and Mirrorsofillusion for helping out with beta-ing this chapter.

Also Zephyr has given me an idea for a second chapter of Naruto Arashiodori: Outtakes (or a stand alone one-shot maybe); a battle between all 3 Sannin at full power (so no sealed arms, ruined chakra paths or fear of blood)… I'd like to hear your comments and thoughts on that idea.

Please review and tell me what you thought.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Still own nothing. Never have, never will.

* * *

"So Tsunade-sama, how long do you think until he'll have full control of his arm again?" Shizune asked as she fed Ton-Ton. "He has made far more progress then I would have thought, being able to use a technique so soon and of all technique's he managed to use the Rasengan…"

"Yes I was just as surprised as everyone else was back there." Tsunade admitted as she looked out of the window. Outside, Jiraiya was training Naruto in controlling which toad he summoned. He claimed that the frogs Naruto summoned were still quite random but he couldn't focus on it earlier because Naruto only had 1 hand to use.

"But the Rasengan he used to defeat Orochimaru's assistant was not formed in his hands like it should." The Slug Sannin continued. "He formed it his wrist instead. I checked it out last night, before he went to sleep; the chakra circulation system has restored to somewhere around his wrist but his nerves are still only halfway through his lower-arm. He can move his elbow at will and can make most of the rough movements with his wrist but nothing precise yet. And he isn't feeling anything yet either. It'll take some more time for the nerves to re-grow. He'll be able to use Ninjutsu if he manages to make his right hand form the seals. Jiraiya could spend some time teaching him that."

"I see. But how long do you think it would take for him to completely regain the use of his arm?"

"Based on his previous growth I'd guess somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks. The nerves and chakra system in his hands will take relatively longer to heal because they're much more complex and intense in location there. But I think he'll be able to use chakra from his fingertips in a week or so, just a few days after we reach Konoha." She concluded.

"Just a few days after you become the new Hokage…" Shizune added silently with some amusement and pride in her voice.

'We're really going back to Konoha… I wonder how it's going. Maybe I'll be able to see some of my old classmates again. I wonder how Genma is doing.'

XxX

"Why do we have to keep doing this? Studying is BORING!" Naruto complained as he tried to meditate. For the past three hours Jiraiya had been trying, and failing, to teach Naruto the theory behind controlling the toads that could be summoned.

Opposite of him, Jiraiya looked ready to slam his palm into his forehead because of the stupidity of his pupil.

"Because you want to control what toads you summon you stupid brat!" he said for the unkempt time. "Summoning Gamabunta is nice and all, but sometimes it's better to summon a smaller frog. Twenty story-high frogs tend to draw some attention! Not the best thing when you're fighting in enemy territory."

"Whatever. It worked up until now didn't it, Ero-Sannin?"

Jiraiya face-vaulted onto the ground at that statement.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING! Ok forget this!" a new idea had sprung up in the Toad-master's mind. "Since you still can't move your fingers but can already use chakra a bit, you're going to use one hand to form seals!"

"REALLY!?" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, jumping up as he spoke. "You can teach me one-handed seals? Cool!"

"One-handed seals? Not quite. What you're talking about is something similar to a bloodline limit kid, I can't teach you that." the older ninja explained. Naruto instantly looked less cheerful. "What I'm going to teach you is using one hand and forcing the other into the seals you need. So you use the fingers of your left hand to place the fingers of your right into seals. You follow?"

"Using one hand to force the other into seals, got it!" Naruto exclaimed. "Kinda like making weird figures with your hands."

"Yeah exactly. Now get working on it, we'll start easy, use the seal of the Ram. By the time we get back to Konoha I want you able to use seals without looking at your hands in a decent time."

"Yes sir!" Naruto exclaimed, mimicking Rock Lee's signature saluting of his teacher.

"AND WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT IMITATING THOSE GUYS!"

XxX

"Hey look bro; I can see Konoha from here!" Gamakichi said from atop Naruto's head. "It ain't to far now! We'll get there pretty soon."

"Good thing too." Naruto sighed from atop the large frog, Gamasetsu, that he was riding. "We've been gone for way too long. I want to go see Sakura-chan, eat some Ramen, see Sakura-chan, check up on Sasuke, see Sakura-chan, and check whether or not Kakashi-sensei and the Old man are ok again."

"Missed Sakura much?" Gamasetsu said with sarcasm laced into his words like appliqué. "Ah, let him bro." Gamakichi answered. "That girl is one of his 'you-know-whats.'" as the smaller frog spoke he made a gesture similar to raising his pinky.

"For the last time, she's not my girlfriend." Naruto shouted, "Now I hear Ero-Sannin calling again. I'll see you guys soon. Tell Gamatotsu and Gamamenki I said hi." With a single seal of his left hand, both frogs disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"You know, just because you've mastered the summoning it doesn't mean you have to use it every ten minutes you know." Jiraiya said with annoyance as Naruto closed in. Naruto only scratched the back of his head with a small grin and didn't reply.

A week and a half of traveling together had almost been a trip down memory lane for Tsunade; the bickering between Jiraiya and Naruto reminded her of two other teams she had been very close with. Team 16, the team Jiraiya had trained that had contained the Fourth Hokage, also had a lot of bickering. Minato had a lot of bickering with both Jiraiya and Susa, his female team member.

'And let's not even get started on the bickering between Orochimaru and Jiraiya back when we were still team 1…' she though with a smile as she neared the gates of Konoha. 'Good times.'

When they reached the gates to the village, which opened themselves, Naruto instantly shot off to buy some ramen from Ichiraku. After all, it was already lunchtime. The three adults instead headed for the Hokage's tower to announce that they had returned. In the Hokage's office, Tsunade would also officially be appointed the title of Hokage, although the ceremony, itself, would have to wait a few days.

XxX

A few hours later, Naruto left after having eaten almost twelve large bowls of Ramen from Ichiraku and having told the story of his travels no less than twelve times, the story becoming more twisted at each turn until Naruto claimed to have almost single-handedly scared of Orochimaru and an army of sounds.

He decided to go to the hospital first, it was getting a bit late to go and see Sakura at her house after all. After discovering where Sasuke was located, he walked into his teammate's room to find that Sakura was there as well, along with a medic ninja. When she heard the door open, the pink-haired Kunoichi turned around to see who had entered.

When she saw the blond enter the room she instantly shot at him and, to his surprise, gave him a hug.

"Naruto, you're back!" she said as she held him tightly. "How'd your mission go? Why did it take so long? What was your mission?" she took a moment to pause, looking at the blond. "When was the last time you had a shower?" She wrinkled her nose at the mere thought of the true answer.

Naruto didn't answer, he was still a bit stunned from the sudden hug he had been given.

"So this is the room?" A familiar female voice asked from outside the room. A second later the door slid open and revealed Tsunade and Shizune, accompanied by another medic ninja. Sakura looked suspiciously at the older woman, while Naruto recovered and greeted them.

"Yo Tsunade-baa-chan, Shizune-nee-chan. You're gonna fix up Sasuke right?" he asked with confidence. Sakura looked confused for a moment until she realized what Naruto had just said.

"Are you Tsunade-sama? The legendary medical ninja?"

"Yes and you are?"

"This is Sakura-chan, remember I told you about her." Naruto answered the question instead.

"Oh yeah, she's the girl that you wouldn't shut up about." Tsunade grumbled as she walked over to Sasuke's side. Sakura still looked stunned that she met such a legendary kunoichi, but something was wrong here… then it clicked in her mind.

"Naruto, how do you know Tsunade-sama?" she asked with uncertainty.

"Simple. My mission was to find her and bring her back here. Obviously, the mission was a success, but how could it be anything else with me on the job?" Naruto said as if it was as obvious as the sun rising every morning, before turning to Tsunade.

"How's he doing? You're going to fix him, Kakashi-sensei and the Old Man right? It was part of our deal. You owe me!"

"Yes I know, brat. I'm going to fix up both of those Sharingan-users. But it'll take some more time with Sarutobi-sensei. The medics kept Kakashi and Sasuke in good enough shape, stopping the decaying of the muscles. They'll be back to full power in a few days. But Sensei's injuries were more severe, it'll take even me some time."

Throughout all that, only one thought raced through Naruto and Sakura's heads.

'Our team's going to be complete again!'

XxX

As the sky darkened outside, Tsunade sat in her new office, meeting with the judges of the Chuunin exams. This was the last matter that required immediate attention; the other nations were getting impatient because the results were taking too long to be revealed. The head judge, ruler of the exam's judges in the tournament, stood before her as he reported.

"As for the results of the exams, the council of judges has decided that Nara Shikamaru is viable for promotion to the rank of Chuunin. None of the other shinobi present have shown the required skills to handle the responsibility that the rank gives."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the statement. From what she had heard, there were at least two others who had shown fight that were impressive enough to be above Chuunin level.

"From what I heard several other shinobi that took the exams have also shown aptitude to be promoted." She stated.

"Aah yes, you must refer to the fight between Uzumaki Naruto and Gaara of the Desert." The head judge said. "Yes, their fight was without a doubt very impressive and above Genin level. However, we believe that those two fighters have not shown enough skill, insight, tactical knowledge and control over their own abilities to safely bear the rank of Chuunin."

"So basically," Jiraiya's voice suddenly sounded in through the window, "you don't want to promote them because they are Jinchuuriki?" as he spoke, Jiraiya entered the room through the window. "But tell me, why aren't the Hyuuga and Uchiha boys being promoted? Or the Sand's girl? All three of them showed some impressive tactical abilities, ranging from sealing away an enemy's abilities to predicting attacks quite a bit ahead. Why aren't they promoted?"

The head judge looked at the sage for a moment, thinking about his answer before he spoke up.

"Neither the Uchiha nor Hyuuga boys have shown enough skills in direct combat. They have shown tactical ability but failed to live up to their tactics with physical skills. And the Sand girl has failed to show any combat skills apart from a continuance use of Ninjutsu. Those qualities are not fitting for Chuunin." There was no mistaking the obvious doubt in his voice.

"But the Nara boy surrendered just when he had the match going his way." Jiraiya reasoned. "And besides that he has also shown no taijutsu skills to speak of. Here's what I think; you don't want to promote Naruto and Gaara because they are Jinchuuriki. And because those two defeated the Hyuuga and Uchiha, you can't promote them either. Their fights weren't good enough to allow that. And while the Sand girl fought well enough for Chuunin rank you don't want to promote her because she belongs to the Sand, who betrayed us during that exam."

The entire room was silent after Jiraiya's claim. The head judge hesitated for a few moments, sweat pouring down his forehead, before he could answer.

"You hold no credibility to this claim. We have judged and as the law state, our judgment will be followed." He nervously stated.

Tsunade only sighed as the head judge turned and left the room. He was right; she had no power to change their decisions. That was the law and no-one stood above the law, not even the Hokage.

'why did I chose to accept this job again?' Tsunade thought as she rested her head on her hands. 'I'm already getting a headache from all these politics.'

'But I'm willing to bet there's another reason they didn't promote Naruto.' Jiraiya thought bitterly. 'They can't promote the Uchiha because he lost to Gaara. And because they can't promote him, they refuse to promote Naruto. If they did, the balance in the team would be lost and there's a chance that Sasuke could attempt to rebel or even leave the village. Politics are too bothersome. I need to relax a bit, it's been a hard three months; I need to check out the bathing area.'

With his next goal set firmly in his perverted mind, the Toad Sage jumped out of the window he came in and disappeared into the night.

XxX

"Where did he go?" a male's voice asked roughly.

"We have to find him! I know I saw him going down that alley!" a determined female voice answered.

"Let's go!" the male's voice said. Three figures charged into the alley, weapons drawn, hoping to find their quarry.

"He's not here." A second male voice, this one softer then the first, stated.

"Where did he go? Find him! Find Naruto!" the first voice shouted.

Somewhere behind them, a fence suddenly came to life and, with a poof and some smoke, turned into Uzumaki Naruto. He quickly jumped away before his 'hunters' could catch him.

"Too bad, I win!" he shouted as he jumped up a pole. "You guys will have to try harder then that Konohamaru!" the next instant he jumped away, moving to fast for the three students to catch up.

Back in the ally Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon looked with surprise at the fence that Naruto had been imitating, then at the pole and then back to the fence.

"Did you notice that the fence wasn't usually there Udon?" Konohamaru asked after a few seconds.

"No." he simply said. Next to him Moegi also shook her head.

"He really is awesome…" the grandson of the Third said with amazement.

XxX

As Naruto left behind the Konohamaru Corps, he suddenly realized how much Konoha had changed in the past three months he was gone. Everything that was damaged by the war had been rebuilt and people were beginning to pick up on their lives again, not much had changed in that regard. What had changed were the people's reactions to him.

For the past three days, Naruto had been traveling around Konoha with more fun than he could ever remember having simply walking around. A lot of people were no longer glaring at him as he walked by; some were even smiling at him. The owner of a candy-store he liked to visit even gave him a discount when he bought a lollypop. There were still a lot of people that did glare at him, some even worse then before, but now a lot of people acted like they didn't mind his presence. Some people even seemed to enjoy it.

'Let's go check up on Sasuke.' Naruto thought suddenly. 'He's going to be released from the hospital today if all goes well.'

Just as he entered the Sasuke's room he noticed that Sakura was, again, in Sasuke's room. She was standing in front of a plate and there were bits of apple all over the floor.

'She must have accidentally dropped the plate or something…' Naruto thought before he made his presence known.

"Yo Sakura-chan, Sasuke! How's it going?"

No-one answered, but Sasuke suddenly glared at Naruto like he had never done before. Naruto immediately felt unwelcome.

"Wha…what?" he asked in surprise. "Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"Hey Naruto…" Sasuke started as he threw the sheets off the bed, moving to a sitting position. "Fight me. Now!"

"What? You're still recovering… what're you talking about?"

"Just shut up and fight me!" the raven-haired genius almost yelled as he activated his Sharingan. Slowly he began to step out of the bed, talking all the while. "You thought you helped me? That stupid Fifth Hokage or whatever, butting in on other people's affairs…" he stood next to Naruto, face to face. Both boys were now glaring at each other.

"Sasuke-kun what's wrong with you?" Sakura suddenly yelled. "Naruto, tell him to stop it! I mean, he's still recovering!"

"Actually…" Naruto said with his usual confidence, "I was thinking about kicking your ass anyway."

"Come on guys, cut it out already…" Sakura pleaded with a small voice.

"Follow me." Sasuke simply stated as he walked past Naruto, stepping on a piece of apple while doing so. Sakura looked almost desperate, thinking of ways to stop their fighting, as the three young ninja climbed the stairs to the roof of the hospital.

As the two boys stood on either end of the roof, both ready to fight at long last, Naruto suddenly exclaimed a loud laugh.

"What's so funny?!" Sasuke demanded in return.

"Funny? It's not that." Naruto answered. "I'm overrun with joy, thinking about how I can finally beat your ass."

"What was that? Stop dreaming and spouting nonsense you loser!" Sasuke replied, anger obvious in his voice and face.

"You're wrong. I'm no longer the loser you once knew. I've changed." Naruto stated, completing the challenge he made to his long-time friend and rival.

"You damn idiot, why are you so full of yourself?"

"What're you losing your cool, Sasuke? It's so unlike you." Naruto suddenly asked. "Are you afraid to challenge me?"

"JUST SHUT UP AND FIGHT!" the Sharingan-user said.

"Sure. But before we fight, put on your forehead protector. I'll wait till you're done." Naruto offered.

"I won't need it." the genius confidently stated.

"PUT IT ON!" Naruto yelled back, his own frustration and anticipation showing.

"You won't lay a finger on me, let alone touch my forehead!" Sasuke taunted as he pointed to his head.

"No it's not that!" Naruto explained. "We wear this as a symbol that we fight as equal Konoha Shinobi!"

"That's why I say you're full of yourself!" Sasuke yelled back at him. "You think you're equal to me?!"

"Of course I do! We're both Konoha Shinobi, we're both Genin. I have never, not even once thought of myself as inferior to you!" both boys were shouting loudly, it wouldn't be long before they burst into battle.

"YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!"

"THAT'S CAUSE YOUR STILL WEAK, SASUKE-CHAN!"

That did it. With loud cries, both boys threw themselves into the fight.

"NARUTO!" "SASUKE!"

Upon first connecting, each of the fighters grabbed one hand of the other, locking each other down. Sasuke raised one leg to attack, Naruto lowered his arm to block and throw Sasuke off balance. His right, which had managed to form into a fist with difficulty, was still firmly gripped by Sasuke.

Naruto used the time Sasuke was recovering to jump back and create some distance. Again they charged, but Naruto managed to get under Sasuke's guard this time and connected with a left punch. Sasuke quickly retorted by kicking Naruto on his leg, forcing him back again. Now Naruto started using the technique Jiraiya had taught him on forming seals while unable to use his right hand, a second later he was joined by seven other Naruto's. For the first time in three months, Naruto managed to do his trademark technique again.

But Sasuke wasn't impressed, he knew the weakness of Kage Bunshin and had seen them often enough. One of them charged at him, but he simply punched the clone a second before it reached him. He disappeared in a puff of smoke. But the smoke was enough to temporarily blind Sasuke, making him unable to see that a second clone had sneaked up behind the first and viciously punched him in the face.

"U…"

Three other clones quickly attack Sasuke from behind, kicking him up in the air, each with another part of Naruto's name shouted.. The young Uchiha had already recovered in the air, forming seals with his hands, when he sensed another attack coming from behind him. He barely managed to block a kick that would have otherwise hit him in the back of his head. With his arms still blocking the clone's kick, Sasuke performed the final seal to his own trademark technique.

"Naruto Rendan!" the clone yelled as he kicked into Sasuke's block.

"Fire elemental; Grand fireball!" Sasuke yelled as he breathed out a large flame. The flames burned right through the first clone, spreading across half the roof, engulfing all Naruto's in it.

Suddenly the flames around the real Naruto disappeared, as if blown back by a strong wind. In his right hand, just below his wrist, a orb of blue chakra was swirling. Even with his Sharingan, Sasuke couldn't see the charka's flow; it was too fast to see. He did recognize the technique as a close-combat type attack so he prepared his own close combat attack to counter it. Three quick seals later, lightning was coursing through the Uchiha's hand.

"No please…" Sakura pleaded from the door to the roof. "Please stop! STOP!" She suddenly rushed forward, hoping to stop her team members from really hurting each other.

"CHIDORI!"

"RASENGAN!"

But there was no way that the young kunoichi could get between the two hot-blooded ninja in time.

Just as the two attacks were about to meet, right in front of Sakura's face, a hand grabbed Naruto's arm; another grabbed Sasuke's. Both were instantly send flying into the cooling tanks on the roof as Kakashi appeared.

"What do you two think you're doing? You're on the roof of the hospital!" he asked as both boys were trying to get back up. Sasuke's hand was still stuck in the water-tank, while Naruto seemed to need some time to get back to his feet as he suddenly clutched his right shoulder. He had slammed his entire body into the tank, with his right arm being crushed in between.

"You guys are way too heated to be fighting." the teacher stated as he looked at his two students. Naruto was slowly getting up, looking like he was fighting back a howl and tears of pain while he was holding his arm. Sasuke finally managed to free his arm and, triumphantly, looked to the stream of water his Chidori had caused. Next to the hand-size whole he had made, along with the large dent, the damage that Naruto had done to the water tank looked minimal.

"Hey, hey Sasuke." Kakashi said as he teleported to the top of the water tank. "Why are you suddenly so obsessed with your superiority complex? The Chidori, especially on that level, isn't a technique that's appropriate for using on your teammates. Were you trying to kill Naruto?"

He didn't get a response, only a glare from the other Sharingan wielder.

"Where did such immature behavior come from?" he questioned, but he already knew the answer in his mind. 'He must have met with Itachi after all.'

Again Sasuke didn't answer; instead he jumped over the fence to flee the area.

XxX

"Ok, we've waited for half an hour since the copy ninja left." A male voice said as he stepped forward. "Let's go meet with this Uchiha that Orochimaru-sama is so interested in."

"Then let's go you goddamn pansy." A rough woman voice commanded.

"Will you stop the cursing already? You're going to give us away." a calm strong voice said.

"Forget it Jiroubou, Tayuya isn't going to turn into a nice girl anytime." a six-armed man said as he walked out of the shadows. "Now let's go."

Without hesitation, Jiroubou, Tayuya, Kidoumaru and Sakon jumped towards the Uchiha.

The sound's four had returned to Konoha and this time, they had a specific mission.

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A/N:

A surprisingly quick update this time around. This chapter is clearly devided into two parts as you can see. The first half is all me and the second half is canon retelling. Before you all get angry, this will be some of the last canon retelling. We're getting very close to the point where I leave canon completely.

As always much thanks to both Mirrors of Illusion (now more then ever for the girl talk part) and Zephyr-tai-ji for the beta-reading of this chapter. And for those of you who don't know yet, I have a poll in my profile asking for your opinion on my OC's. I would like to ask all of you to vote on it. it gives me a good idea of what you all think of my ability to create characters.

And besides that I will leave the Sannin battle royal poll open. so far I have received about 4 votes. I would like some more people to vote on the matter. That poll is open till the next chapter (chapter 20) is updated.

In the summer holidays I don't have to work on school anymore (thank god) so instead I'm working full time. hopefully I'll be able to give you some more updates to this story (I'm aiming for the 2 week mark just like I did last year) but I can't make any promises just yet. so don't flame me if I don't manage to update within 2 weeks. At the longest, I'll update at the 4 week mark again.

As always (if your still reading after my rant) please review and tell me what you think.

And ehm… I didn't write the Sannin battle because it would have been 100 a copy of canon after Naruto passes out. I also don't plan on writing any battles where Naruto is not (consciously) present at, unless they are specifically important for my storyline. So just assume that Orochimaru has escaped (again)


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: still don't own nothing.

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"STOP!"

Naruto's shout was carried over the entire valley. A large and famous valley near the borders of the Land of Fire, Naruto had chased Sasuke to get here, in the 'Valley of the End.'

Sasuke had clearly heard Naruto's call, because he stopped while standing on one of the statues. He didn't turn around, nor make any other suggestion that he knew Naruto was there.

"Why are you running away?" Naruto suddenly asked. The question had been burning him for the past day and a half, since he and the others had started chasing Sasuke and his escorts.

Again, Sasuke didn't answer, instead he slowly turned around, giving Naruto a clear show of his face. half of his face was now covered in the black markings that covered him whenever the seal took over, with the eye on that side having turned completely black.

"Who said I'm running?" the black haired genius asked, his voice leering. It didn't sound anything like Sasuke's normal voice. "So this you're trying to stop me? Like I already told Sakura; stop bothering me."

The taunt caused Naruto to remember Sakura's pleading, almost begging him to return Sasuke, and only one thing escaped his mouth.

"Why? What made you like this?"

"None of your business." The Uchiha replied. "I'll say this once, so listen close; it has nothing to do with you, I have my own path that I'll follow. I will take revenge on Itachi and anyone else who gets in my way. Playtime with you people from Konoha is over. I will go to Orochimaru to gain power; he at the least won't stop my growth like you do."

"Everyone that came here, they all risked their lives to help save you!"

"I never asked them to. But if they want to die so badly, I'll kill them for you. Now get out of my sight!" with that Sasuke turned around, leaving Naruto behind in a state of shock and anger.

Almost as soon as Sasuke had turned around Naruto, raging with anger, jumped across the valley to pin down his old friend. Just as he was about to connect however, Sasuke turned around and kicked him hard in the stomach. The force of the kick caused Naruto to be blown back into the air with shock. He hadn't expected Sasuke to counter his surprise attack, and certainly not with that much force behind it.

While he was still in the air, Naruto tried to recover, but before he had a chance to, Sasuke had jumped after him and was hovering underneath him. Forcing Naruto to spin around first, Sasuke gave a quick kick to with his left, which Naruto wasn't able to block and he was hit in the side. From there, Sasuke switched rotational direction, punching Naruto on the Solar Plexus to knock the remaining air out his lungs. The shock to his nervous system also prevented Naruto from moving for a second and caused him to start crashing towards the lake, nearly thirty meters below them. A second punch to the stomach reminded him that Sasuke was still there, falling right with him, until Naruto was hit by the finishing attack he already knew was coming; a straight-leg heel drop into his stomach.

"Lion Combo!"

"AARGH!"

With a large spray of water, Naruto crashed into the lake beneath them, while Sasuke simply landed on his feet and stood on the water.

"Did that wake you up yet, Naruto?" he taunted as the blond surfaced again, heavily breathing to regain his oxygen.

"Why… why do you want to go to Orochimaru? He won't just give you power! He'll try to take over your body!" Naruto said, desperately trying to reach his friend.

"You think I care about that? As long as I can do what I want to do, as long as I kill Itachi, I don't care about what happens to my body. Look at what power he already gave me!" Sasuke said as he raised his hands, looking at his palms for a second.

"And this… this is just a taster! I'll say this once Naruto; get out of my way and stay out of it. Try to stop me or follow me, and I will kill you."

"How could I do that?! How could I let you be taken to him!?" the blond shouted. "I'll bring you back to Konoha, even if I have to go at full force to stop you!"

Suddenly Sasuke bent forward a bit, hiding his head from sight. Naruto could see him shaking a bit, before he heard the sounds he was emitting.

"Ku, ku, ku, you will go at full force? You'll stop me?" He chuckled, sounding more like Orochimaru then Sasuke. "THEN SHOW ME!" he ran forward suddenly, punching Naruto in the stomach. This time, Naruto was prepared for the blow, after being hit he quickly grabbed Sasuke's arm and threw him away, causing the Uchiha to fly some meters away.

"THEN BEAT ME!" the black haired boy shouted as he rushed back the blond, jumped over him and kicked him in the back of the head. "Show me how we would have fought, if Kakashi hadn't interfered!" he tried to stop on Naruto while he was floating, but this time the orange-clad ninja was ready for it. Using his right arm to push himself up from the water, Naruto caught Sasuke's leg with his left and swept his other foot away from him. As a result Sasuke fell, butt first, into the water as well.

"Shut up!" Naruto shouted. "That wasn't how I had imagined our fight would be…That wasn't what I –"

Sasuke had interrupted Naruto, again, by attacking him. The blond had only barely been able to block Sasuke's kick, but was still pushed back a considerable distance.

"You think I give a damn about what you want?" Sasuke yelled. "The only thing I care about is power and right now, you're standing in my way of getting it."

"Then you need to WAKE UP!" Naruto yelled as he charged at Sasuke. He gave a full throw punch with his right and Sasuke didn't react in time to block it. Naruto's right was much faster then his left had been.

"I need to wake up? I've already done that. I've awoken from the dreams of peace and quiet. I woke up from my foolish dream of living with comrades, friends even, who were just as foolish as me. That's why I left. BECAUSE I WOKE UP!" again he ran at Naruto, giving punch after punch. Most of them were blocked, but when Sasuke punched Naruto on the upper right arm, the sudden pain that shot through the blonde caused him to drop his guard for a split second. In that split second, Sasuke punched him squarely in the chest. The force of the blow was so high that Naruto was send nearly fifty meters before he could catch himself. Even then he couldn't stop himself in time to prevent the crash into the feet of the First Hokage's statue.

"So, you really are serious…" Naruto said with amazement and shock as he picked himself up.

"Of course I am. I intend to kill you from now on." Sasuke casually said.

"Why!?"

"Because… you are my best friend, therefore, killing you will make me much stronger." He let the statement sink in for a second closing his eyes as he did, almost like he was revealing new information to himself, before returning his gaze at Naruto. But now, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan.

"Now then." He spoke, his tone more dangerous than ever. "Prepare yourself for your death!" at once he made three seals with his hands and gripped his wrist. Instantly lightning began coursing through his hand.

"CHIDORI!"

"I have no intention of dying." Naruto said as he stood up and raised his right hand. "Nor do I have any intention of killing you Sasuke. But I will beat you up till you barely survive if I have to! RASENGAN!"

While he was speaking, the now familiar chakra orb had formed itself just between Naruto's wrist and hand-palm. Then both boys charged at the same time, closing the distance rapidly. The moment they were in range, both swung their arm forward, colliding their two attacks. For a second it seemed as if nothing had happened to the young ninja, while the water around them was blown away. Then, the two attacks exploded, sending both fighters flying back. Both ended up smashing into the feet of the giant statues this time around, cracking the rocks on impact.

For a few moments, there was no movement. The two attacks had canceled each other out and neither of the young ninja had suffered injury because of it. But both were rethinking their strategy before they could act.

'He really is serious…' Naruto thought with desperation, 'and if that's the case… I can't fight him like that. I'll need some help. I'll use the Summoning Technique and with some toads helping me out, I'll beat him.'

Meanwhile, on the other side of the valley, Sasuke's thoughts were racing as well.

'He managed to cancel out my Chidori that easily. If I want to kill him here, I'll have to create an opening before I can strike. Before, when I hit his right arm, he flinched. I'll use that as my opening and then land the finishing strike. And just to tilt the odds a little further…'

As both boys stood up again, their strategy decided, the black markings began to spread over Sasuke's entire body while a rising ring of purple chakra came into existence around him.

"All right then, let's do this." Naruto said as he brought his hands together. He began making the seals for his Summoning, using his left just like Jiraiya had taught him. But it required more time than usual, and in that time Sasuke had quickly closed in and kicked Naruto in the back before he even reached the fifth seal.

Naruto quickly managed to regain himself and threw a kunai with explosive tag towards his previous location. As Sasuke jumped high to avoid the explosion, Naruto tried using his seals again. In the air, Sasuke was also shooting through the seals for one of his favored techniques. Being able to use both hands, Sasuke was far faster and quickly released his Fire Element: Phoenix Flower. The small flames that were shot hit Naruto on various places, including his right shoulder, and again prevented him from completing his technique.

'Damnit!' Naruto thought as he blocked Sasuke's follow up kick. 'He won't let me finish my technique!'

Just as he blocked Sasuke's second kick, he saw that his former teammate had formed another series of seals. Just as Naruto jumped back on instinct, Sasuke released yet another fire technique; Fire Element: Grand Fireball.

Reacting on instinct, Naruto raised both his arms to protect himself, but forgot just how sensitive his arm was. The moment that the flames had made contact with his right arm, he felt pain course through it like he never felt before. Not prepared for it, Naruto let out a loud scream of pain.

"What's the matter Naruto? Since when are you such a crybaby?" Sasuke taunted, stopping his flame attack and punching the blond in the face again. Before Naruto could recover, or remove his still burning jacket, Sasuke was on him again punching and kicking him everywhere he could.

Finally he stopped his barrage and grabbed Naruto's head. Instead of punching, Sasuke pulled Naruto's head under the water, laughing in that strange Orochimaru-style all the while. He kept Naruto under ignoring the blonde's struggles until he got kicked on the elbow by surprise. Naruto quickly raised his head, desperate to reach air, head-butting Sasuke in the stomach by accident. As the Uchiha bent over in surprise, Naruto saw his chance and drew back his right fist before delivering a full power punch.

This time, the Uchiha was send flying over the water, bouncing here and there, until he managed to reach a standstill in the middle of the lake. Naruto quickly opened his jacket to remove the burnt clothing, but it stuck to his arms. While he was attempting to get it off, in between the pain spasms from his right arm's hair and skin being pulled off, Sasuke quickly charged up another Chidori.

Naruto heard the trademark chirping of the attack just a second to late, when his arms were spread wide in an attempt to remove his jacket. He was barely able to step to the side, but was unable to evade the attack. Instead of piercing his heart, the lightning attack had pierced Naruto straight through the chest.

'No…' Naruto thought as he looked down at his chest and could see the blood flow. He could feel it coming up in his mouth as well. 'No… I can't die… I don't want to die… I still have to… keep… my… prom…ises.'

"**Brat… Don't you dare die on me.**" a rough voice said in his mind. "**I don't feel like dying just yet.**"

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted as, for the second time in a day after three months of absence, Kyuubi's chakra began coursing through him again. Sasuke was blown back from the wave of chakra as Naruto's burnt jacket was blasted to bits. Without Sasuke's arm in it, the hole in Naruto's chest healed almost instantly, leaving no sign of the attack that had pierced it.

As he stood there, feeling the chakra course through his body just as strong as it did against Gaara, Naruto could suddenly remember what had happened in the fight against Gaara. His senses sharpened but at the same time, Naruto felt the burns still on his right. It didn't seem like he could move them around anytime soon.

"I'll give you one chance to surrender! GIVE UP! If you don't I'll break every bone in your body and drag you back!"

"Dream on! With the power I've received from Orochimaru you don't stand a chance moron!"

Naruto charged at his former friend, still covered in the Curse Seal's marks and the evil purple chakra spinning around him, and just before reaching him increased his speed so much that there was only a blur around the Uchiha. Even his Sharingan couldn't keep up with Naruto's new speed, resulting in Sasuke being unable to block the majority of Naruto's attacks. Suffering from the barrage of attacks, Sasuke couldn't keep up the chakra stream under his heals, causing him to sink into the water after a powerful kick from Naruto.

But even under the water, the onyx haired youngster was not safe. Using his chakra to propel himself, Naruto quickly followed him into the water and kept up his unrelenting barrage. Finally, after an uppercut with some distance used as a charge, Naruto knocked Sasuke out of the water again. Jumping after him Naruto managed to lock Sasuke between his legs, pinning his arms to the side. From that position, he continued punching his teammate in the face without pause.

Just before they would land on the ground underneath the statue of the First's opponent Naruto released Sasuke from the hold and gave a double kick into his belly. Sasuke crashed head first into the stone while Naruto landed on his feet some feet away, his right still hanging useless on his side. There rolled a small item from Sasuke's pocket, making a 'ping' noise when it hit a small rock.

His forehead protector.

"Aah." Sasuke's voice was weak as he slowly picked himself up. For the first time since Naruto met up with him, the curse seal was not spread over his body. He could barely lift his body, only pushing himself up on one elbow. His other hand slowly moved out towards his headband. "My… headband…"

"Sasuke?" Naruto said with a questioning look. "What's going on?"

"Naruto…" the Uchiha looked at his best friend, with a look of surprise, that soon turned to shock. "Don't try to stop me please. I don't know what I would do to you!" this time his voice wasn't threatening; it sounded more worried than anything.

"I can't." Naruto replied, wondering what was going on with his friend. "I promised Sakura I'd bring you back. I won't let you go that easily."

As Sasuke's hand closed around his forehead protector the curse seal began spreading over his body again.

"No! Go back!" the young ninja said from the ground. The marks, still burning red, halted for a second before retreating completely. With obvious difficulty Sasuke stood up, looked at Naruto and after a second's hesitation put on his headband.

"What're you doing?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"I don't know what's wrong with me; something's been different ever since I fought Itachi. But, now that I'm myself if only for a little, I want to make sure we fight like I had intended us to in the exams: like equals. If you won't back down from this fight, I won't make you. Now Naruto, let's – AARGH!" as he spoke Sasuke suddenly grabbed his shoulder, screaming in pain as one of his knees crashed to the ground again. This time the seal marks spread out over his body again. Just like before Sasuke's eyes turning to black before he activated his Sharingan. Just before Sasuke attacked, Naruto could see that now, there were three dots in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke's attack was much faster than before and once again aimed at Naruto's right arm. still, Sasuke's speed was nothing compared to Naruto's, so the attack was easily evaded. But when Naruto tried to counter with a sweeping kick, Sasuke jumped over it barely and suddenly kicked Naruto in the face. Naruto stood his ground and grabbed Sasuke's leg, attempting to throw the Uchiha into the stone, but because of that he couldn't block the sudden chop to his neck.

Thrown back from the shock, Naruto landed on his back on the ground while releasing Sasuke's leg. Again there was en evil grin on the face of the black-haired boy as he stepped closer to the Demon Container.

"So, Naruto," he started, and again there was a Orochimaru-ish tone in his voice, "This arm of yours… it's rather sensitive isn't it?" as he asked the question, Sasuke stomped on Naruto's elbow with force. Naruto screamed as a pain unlike anything he ever thought possible exploded in his elbow.

"Ku, ku, ku, so WEAK!" as Sasuke raised his leg to crush more of Naruto's arm, the earth below him suddenly exploded as a second Naruto jumped out of the ground and attacked the renegade ninja.

"Hmpf." With a practiced ease, Sasuke moved his head to the side and kneed the shadow clone in the crotch. The clone exploded in smoke, temporarily shielding Naruto from Sasuke's view. "You made a Shadow Clone while I was on the ground. So pathetic."

Naruto had half picked himself up, his right elbow obviously broken, before Sasuke grabbed him by his collar again.

"You think you can escape me that easily?"

He head butted Naruto hard, followed by another hard knee in the crotch. Holding him up with one hand, Sasuke began pummeling him with the other, hitting him again and again in the face.

"Ku, ku, ku, let's see how well you can take THIS!" releasing his grip on Naruto's collar, Sasuke let his old friend fall before punching him, hard, into the neck.

As he flew back into the water Naruto could feel blood flowing into his throat freely, blocking his breathing and slowly rising up into his mouth.

"Ku, ku, ku… you DIE!" Sasuke laughed in glee as he watched Naruto slowly drifting in the lake.

"**Damnit brat, I said you shouldn't die!**" the same rough voice said in Naruto's mind as he drifted, his mouth slowly filling with his own blood. "**Take this and tear that mongrel to bits!**"

From around his belly Red Chakra, far more then ever before, suddenly flowed and encased Naruto. The chakra pulled him up as if he was a rag doll and landed him on all four. As Naruto coughed up all the blood that was in his mouth, the chakra completely encased him, taking the appearance of a fox around him.

"What? You simply won't die will you?" Sasuke said in amazement as he watched what happened. "Fine then, lets see what I can REALLY do." As he spoke the curse seal began spreading even further among his body, turning his skin color to a dark grey, almost black. A strange scar erupted over the bridge of Sasuke's nose as his fingernails grew longer, allowing him to make the same slashing attacks as Naruto.

When the transformation was completed, Sasuke looked up and saw a large hand of red chakra approach him. He had no time to evade it, so he was grabbed by it and tossed towards the head of the first Hokage. Without any way to save himself, Sasuke smashed right into the eye of the statue. The chakra hand followed him, but this time Sasuke jumped aside as two large wings erupted from his back, allowing him to guide his movement in mid-air.

"FIRE ELEMENT: DRAGON FIRE!" Sasuke shouted as he launched his strongest fire attack towards Naruto. As the massive flames neared Naruto, he didn't do anything, but the flames broke apart on his chakra.

'_Guess that won't work, let's see how you handle a piercing pinpoint attack then!' _Sasuke thought as he flew back up again.

"Not bad Naruto, but now I'll KILL YOU!"

'I can't use that attack I did against Gaara, I can't risk my left arm… I have to finish this with the Rasengan! I'll have to form it with my left.'

Up in the air Sasuke was gathering the chakra in his hand again, but with the corruption of his chakra, the lightning turned black.

Down on the ground Naruto was focusing on his left hand, the chakra spinning around it clumsily; it was nowhere near a full-power Rasengan he could do with his right.

"NOW DIE! CHIDORI!"

"I WON'T BE DEFEATED SASUKE! RASENGAN!"

As Sasuke speeded down towards Naruto, his Black Chidori charged in his hand, Naruto jumped up, using his chakra tail and legs to speed himself up considerably.

The two boys, their techniques at the ready in their left hands, closed in on a collision course towards each other. Just at the last second, Sasuke flapped his wings and changed course, flying past Naruto instead. As soon as he flew alongside his teammate, he plunged his electrically charged hand forward towards Naruto's neck.

The chakra encasement redirected the attack slightly, but along with Naruto's own movement, it was enough to move the attack down to Naruto's right shoulder, which it easily pierced. Naruto just barely managed to turn himself around before the attack and touched Sasuke's wing with his Rasengan.

While Naruto again cried out in pain, Sasuke was blown back by the Rasengan far beyond the statue of the Opponent of the First Hokage. The only mark that remained behind of him was his forehead protector, which was now cracked from the force with which is was shot from its wearer.

Down in the canyon Naruto finally passed out from his injuries, his shoulder half-healed before he even touched the ground. It was in that state, lying in a small pool of his own blood, that Kakashi found him three minutes later in the pouring rain.

Half a kilometer away Sasuke crashed with one of his arms dislocated his wing half-ruined and several bleeding wounds. He looked back at the valley one last time, seeing the statue of the First Hokage looking stern, even with half of its face destroyed, and a single tear escaped from his eyes as he turned his back towards it and sped towards Orochimaru.

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A/N:

As promised, the new chapter is uploaded after two weeks waiting.

Many thanks to both Zephyr-Tai-Ji and Mirrorsofillusions as always for beta-ing for me.

Now there are 2 issues I would like to clearify, based on the reviews I got for the last chapter.

1: the Council of Judges and the Hokage's decision.

A couple people say that the Hokage should simply ignore the Judge's decision and promote Naruto, because the Hokage's word is law. Also, Hektols makes a very valid point about the judges from the Land of Fire not being able to judge the other shinobi. Here is my answer to both points:

The Hokage is the leader of the Konoha and therefore able to write laws (as demonstrated by the Third passing a law concerning Kyuubi and Naruto). HOWEVER, I personally believe that in a state of normal affairs the Hokage must also follow the law, just like many other politicians. They can create the laws but must follow them as well. And if (like I assume) the law states that (neutral) judges decide who gets promoted, then the Hokage can't simply promote someone because he/she feels like it. The only time when, in my idea, the Hokage is allowed to overrule existing laws/rules is in times of war where he/she does have supreme authority.

About the Council of Judges:

The way I see it, the Council consists of Judges from all the Ninja Countries. It keeps the balance in check and allows every country a say in who gets promoted. In Naruto's case the Fire Judges didn't want to promote him and in that case, he doesn't get promoted.

2: about the strength balance between Naruto and Sasuke in the previous chapter.

While Naruto has shown some growth in this story so far, most of it is not in his physical capabilities. He's learned the Rasengan, learned how to do seals with one hand not working and he could control his summoning. He has not become stronger or faster then he was in the chuunin exams. And remember people, the extreme amount of power he showed in the fight against Gaara was all from using Kyuubi's chakra. In the last chapter's fight against Sasuke, Naruto didn't use Kyuubi's chakra and wasn't that much stronger then canon. Perhaps even weaker because of his arm.

Sasuke has grown weaker since the exams, because he's has been in a coma for almost three months, but the medics of Konoha has kept the decaying of his muscles to a minimum. Besides that I personally believe that during the Chuunin Exams Final, Sasuke (without Curse Seal) was far stronger then Naruto (without Kyuubi). For instance, Sasuke could move much faster then Naruto could, easily breaking through Gaara's Shield of Sand.

On a final note: since my Japanese is kinda sucky, I'm using English names for ALL ninjutsu's except Chidori and Rasengan. Those two are the only exceptions because their English names sound really stupid.

Ooh and… because of the low amount of votes, I won't be writing the Sannin battle Royal after all.

If you're still reading after my rant, thanks.

As always, reviews are appreciated.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: don't own the Narutoverse or anything that comes from it.

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"Well, for now we should be pleased that all of them came back alive."

As Tsunade sank back into her chair, having spent the better part of three hours fixing up Chouji and then doing some paperwork and having emergency meetings with the council, she watched the people gathered in her office. Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Odori Shizune and, released from the hospital that very morning, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Shibata.

"True, but that still leaves us with a big problem." Kakashi said with a sigh. "With Sasuke gone we have lost any chance of regaining the Sharingan as part of our forces in the future. In the long run that will be a serious blow to Konoha's military power. And let's not even start on how much of an advantage Orochimaru will get by having Sasuke on his side."

"True, we have lost the chance of regaining the Sharingan, but we have been managing without an army of Sharingan users for 5 years now. Konoha will manage without them." Gai said. "The real problem is, like you said, that Orochimaru now has such a formidable weapon on his side."

"But Sasuke is only a kid," Asuma countered, "despite his show of skill at the Chuunin exam, I think that over half the chuunin of this village could defeat him one-on-one, and he doesn't stand a chance against a jounin. Not to mention that, as a thirteen-year old, it will take him a couple years before he can actually have kids. And those kids will need at least a decade before they're combat-ready. So for the next twelve or so years, even Orochimaru only has one Sharingan to use."

"The trouble isn't how many Sharingans he has, we wouldn't have any Sharingan wielding ninja other then Kakashi and Sasuke for twelve years either, but the fact that he'll attempt to switch bodies with Sasuke." The Third said. "By now he would have already switched bodies and gained the Sharingan for his own use."

"No, he didn't." Jiraiya suddenly spoke up. "I've been checking my information network and it seems that Orochimaru switched bodies the night that Sasuke left Konoha. He couldn't take the chance of waiting any longer or he would have somehow suffered too much damage from Kakashi's attack. That means we have a three-year window to kill Orochimaru, kill Sasuke or tear the two apart. And like you said Asuma, right now Sasuke isn't a big threat yet. But with his natural talent, the Sharingan, a devotion to training to match Naruto's and Orochimaru's guidance he'll be able to fight evenly with a jounin in about a year and a half I'd say."

"That fast?" Kurenai asked with surprise.

"Yeah, Orochimaru is a very effective teacher when he wants to. But there're some other things that are bothering me about this entire ordeal." Jiraiya answered. He walked into the middle of the room, drawing everyone's attention to him, before speaking up again.

"Naruto told me, in detail, about his fight with Sasuke. There was already a significant increase in speed and power compared to how they fought three days ago on top of the hospital. Besides that there's also the fact that his Sharingan has upgraded to the third level. These two factors mean that Sasuke has grown quite a bit stronger then he was at the Chuunin exams, his previous peak.

But Naruto said that while they fought Sasuke was covered by the Curse Seal almost constantly. There was only one instant, just after Naruto had beaten him pretty hard into the ground, that Sasuke didn't have the seal active. Naruto said his entire behavior changed when that happened. Before then, when Sasuke was beating up Naruto, all that Sasuke could talk about was killing Naruto and abandoning Konoha.

However, when Naruto used a massive amount of Kyuubi's chakra and regained his memories of the fight with Gaara, something I want to get back to later, he beat Sasuke up pretty bad and the seal withdrew. Upon the withdrawal of the seal Sasuke was a lot nicer and showed more respect for Naruto. He converted back to the killer after the seal spread again though."

"Yeah, Shikamaru said that Sasuke acted very different when the seal was in effect in the Forest of Death as well." Asuma added. "Could it have some sort of effect on his mind?"

"I'm willing to bet it is. From what each of you told me about the fights between Orochimaru's guard and the Gennin that fought them here's what I estimated." The Toad Sage said as he started explaining.

"I'm willing to bet that the Curse Seal, along with giving the user a power boost, allows Orochimaru to influence another's mind. I don't really have any information about how he created it yet, but I intend to find it out before long. Based on the fights that his 'Sound Five' had with the Genin and single Chuunin that chased after them, I'm wondering why Orochimaru chose them as his guard. They outmaneuvered the ANBU back at the Chuunin exams when you fought with Orochimaru, but there are plenty of ninja who can do that." as he spoke he pointed towards his old teacher before continuing. In the corner, Shizune looked a bit nervous as she listened.

"Then they encountered two Jounin from Konoha and ended up fighting them. From what we heard they needed a long time to rest afterwards, enough to allow the genin to catch up. Since the fight was four or five against two, depending on whether the leader of that team released his brother as well, and they only barely won the fight we can assume that neither of the four is of jounin level. Even more, they all used their level two curse seals in that fight and barely won. I wouldn't be surprised if they are on the level of normal chuunin without those seals.

Why then did Orochimaru, who always wanted nothing but the best and most elite, chose them as his personal guard? It couldn't be because of their sealing ability, because any group of people could learn that or their teamwork because they hardly had any. And with the possible exceptions of the spider-guy and twin brothers they didn't have any abilities that particularly powerful. The other two didn't have any special abilities that no other ninja could do. So Orochimaru chose them for another reason. I'm willing to bet they were loyal to the death to him.

And that's what's so strange. I know Orochimaru can be charming and charismatic when he wants to, but he throws away anyone or anything that he can't use without a second thought. Why then would those four ninja with slightly above average skills be so devoted to him? My guess is that they're completely under his control with the curse seal. That's why they were willing to die for him without a second's hesitation. And if the Curse Seal really does give Orochimaru the ability to control someone's mind, then there's a good chance that Sasuke didn't leave on his own free will after all."

A ringing silence sounded through the room as Jiraiya concluded his long analysis. Kakashi looked with interest but didn't say anything. His mind was racing, trying to process the facts that Jiraiya had just given him.

It was Shizune who first broke the silence.

"But, Jiraiya-sama, how is that possible? Orochimaru was far away from Konoha when Uchiha Sasuke fled Konoha. Could he possible activate the seal from such a distance?"

"Most probably not." Kakashi answered. Everyone instantly looked at him, Jiraiya nodded to allow the silver-haired jounin to speak his own theories.

"Before the Chuunin exams, Sasuke was a talented shinobi who was loyal to his team, his friends and his village. Like most teenage boys who were praised when growing up he had a big ego but once you saw through it he wasn't all that bad. On more then one occasion he looked out for Naruto and Sakura while on missions and in the time he was one my team he was slowly lighting up a bit. I'm willing to bet that his revenge was placed a bit lower on his priority list then before. But when Orochimaru put that seal on him I noticed that he changed again. When he walked out of the Forest of Death, Sasuke was a lot more secretive and kept a lot of things from me, Naruto and Sakura. After I sealed the Curse Seal away, he reverted back a bit but I'm pretty sure that his encounter with Itachi, along with just how Naruto had surpassed him, left Sasuke sufficiently weakened and frustrated that the curse seal could start feeding on his emotions. And I'm sure that something that Orochimaru created wouldn't need him to actually be close. From what Sasuke and Sakura said the seal would activate whenever Sasuke was feeling particularly dark emotions or when his mental defenses were low. Itachi basically opened the path for Orochimaru."

For another few seconds no one spoke. Jiraiya was looking at the ceiling, his own mind racing.

"Well, that's certainly true." Shibata said, his age apparent in his voice. "But for now let's move on. Jiraiya, I believe you said something about Naruto and his memories? Why don't we continue on that and think about Orochimaru's Curse Seal later? It's obvious he has made more then a few improvements since he gave one to Anko."

"Right." The red-clad ninja said. "This is something I want your opinion on, Tsunade, Shizune. After he passed out from the explosion of his right arm, the brat doesn't remember anything other then entering the arena to fight Gaara. As a result he had absolutely no memory of anything he did back then, including saving the Old Man's ass. And since he didn't use any of the Kyuubi's chakra at all while traveling with me they were sealed all the while. Yet, when the Brat fought Sasuke he used a similar amount of the Kyuubi's Chakra as when he fought Gaara. He said that, as soon as he used that chakra, he had regained his memories of the fight in the chuunin exams. Any suggestions as to how that could happen?"

Shizune and Tsunade looked at each other, silently communicating for a few seconds, before the Fifth Hokage spoke up.

"It most likely has something to do with the fact that Kyuubi's chakra was so strongly present at those moments. The pressure of the chakra on his brain, combined with the shock of the moment, could have caused the memories to be sealed away. If that's the case than it's similar to a post-trauma amnesia; the subject forgets the events that were directly involved in creating the trauma."

"Yes, but Tsunade-sama…" Shizune was even more timid then usual, wary of contradicting her teacher. "It's also possible that he couldn't see those memories because he was using the Kyuubi's chakra at the time. Chakra flows through the entire body, from the toes to the hairs on a person's head, that includes the brain. Since every part of Naruto-kun's body gets enhanced by Kyuubi's chakra isn't it possible that his brain itself also gets affected? And only when it was under the effect of Kyuubi's Chakra was it strong enough to regain those lost memories."

For a few seconds, Tsunade looked at her student, not saying anything. Then she turned to Kakashi.

"Kakashi, if Shizune's theory is correct and the Kyuubi's chakra affects his brain, was there anything odd you noticed about him when using it?"

"As a matter of fact there was." The copy ninja answered. "I noticed in his fight with Gaara and from what Naruto and Sakura told me about the fights in the Country of the Wave and inside the Forrest of Death; whenever Naruto uses the Kyuubi's Chakra he becomes far more aggressive and savage in his fighting style."

"I see…" Tsunade murmured for a second before speaking up loudly again, "in that case then there's a good chance that Shizune's theory has some merit to it. But we'll have to investigate just how much of an effect the Kyuubi has on Naruto's thoughts when using his power. It would be very nasty if it turns out that he'll turn into a second Kyuubi when tapping into his power to much."

"Agreed." All the jounin in the room said at once. A second later, Jiraiya spoke up again.

"Now, to get back on th-"

"HOKAGE-SAMA!"

Before Jiraiya could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a loud yell as one of the medics from the hospital ran into the room, sweat covering his forehead and a panicked look on his face.

"What is it?" Tsunade demanded. Instantly, the five jounin, two Kage's and Sannin in the room were up on their feet, Asuma had even managed to get his chakra blades on his hands in an instant, before the medic could continue.

"It's terrible…" he said in between gasps for breath. "After Hyuuga Neji, Akamichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba were released from the hospital half an hour ago, we checked up on Uzumaki Naruto. You had requested to be kept updated on the situation but… but… Uzumaki Naruto was nowhere to be found in his room!"

"Say what?" Tsunade demanded at once. "I thought that we had a couple of ANBU around the hospital just to keep an eye on the people in there and making sure that no-one got in or out without us knowing?"

"Well…" Shibata said with a sigh, "Naruto has always been rather good in staying undetected when he wanted to. Don't be too surprised when he's hiding from Jounin in less then a year and won't be found unless he wants to."

Tsunade didn't look too happy with the comment from her teacher, but it was the words of her former teammate that really caused her to lose her cool.

"Would this be a bad time to tell you all that I've promised Naruto to take him away for three years of full training?"

XxX

"I'm sorry to have bothered you all, asking for your help like this." Iruka said as he addressed the kunoichi that now accompanied him.

"Really, Iruka-sensei, it's no problem." Ino said with a smile before returning to a group of young girls and continuing her talk about the various flora around them.

"Yes, it's no problem and I'm really quiet enjoying myself." Hinata added. She was sitting next to her sister, along with a couple other students, and they were talking about various things. "I don't really get to spend all that much time with Hanabi lately so I'm happy for this chance."

"I'm telling you to stop, you rude, unmannered, loudmouth, double-crossing stupid little kid!" Tenten yelled along the beach line as she gave chase to Konohamaru, who was holding a few of her scrolls.

Out of the four Kunoichi that had come to help him out, it was Sakura that seemed the most down. Iruka had no problem understanding why either, but he couldn't do anything to help her for now. After all, what could you say when one of your teammates just ran away from your village and your other teammate was in the hospital because of it?

Like the others, Sakura was also busy with a group of kids surrounding her and she seemed to be giving a lecture on the nature and uses of Chakra and the usage of seals in Ninjutsu.

"So the seals are used as a medium to mold and control the chakra to use it in Ninjutsu." She concluded.

As he looked around the beach, seeing the three classes that he had taken with him, Iruka deducted that it was a good decision after all. Since two other teachers were out on missions, Iruka was left responsible for almost the entire Ninja Academy. Knowing that he couldn't handle that many kids on his own he asked Sakura, Hinata, Ino and Tenten for help. He knew that Tenten was an expert at physical training routines, having been trained by Guy for almost two years, while the other three had impressive theoretical knowledge.

'I know I shouldn't be thinking this, but I was a bit lucky that all their teammates were out of the village today.'

XxX

Naruto sat on his favored location, the top of the Fourth Hokage's head, as he was thinking again.

'I'm sure… in that moment that the Curse Seal gave way that was the real Sasuke! If I can find him and get rid of that Seal, then Sasuke will come back for sure!'

His determination returned, Naruto slammed his fist into his palm. An instant later he regretted it, because pain had shot through his right arm again. Shizune-nee-chan had tended to him after she was finished with Neji and had healed his elbow in a few minutes. It was when she scanned over his entire arm to check for any leftover bone pieces that she was shocked. Her scan indicated that the nerves and chakra had completely restored already, much faster then anticipated.

"I wonder… if my arm would have been normal… would Sasuke still have beaten me? Or maybe…"

Naruto slammed his fist into the stone, wincing as he did so, and saw the large dent he left in the stone. The increase in power and speed in his arm since before the Exams was hard to ignore.

"If I had my arm fully functional, like this… Could I have stopped him?"

As a cloud parted up in the sky, Naruto could feel the sun beaming down at him. He looked down towards the Konoha Lake. He could see many figures moving there, no bigger then ants from his perspective. For a second he thought he saw one of the figures wear something very like a shawl.

"Hey, if Konohamaru is there… might help distract me for a bit. Better not get near Tsunade-baa-chan now anyway."

He jumped away, heading towards the Lake where he had spent so many hours before becoming a ninja. He had just vanished out of sight when Kakashi landed on his previous location. Like always he was too late.

XxX

"Let's see here. One teacher, probably chuunin from the looks of him, and three little girls. Not exactly a tight guard." As the voice slowly sounded, to far away to be heard by any humans, a head raised itself from the water. "This might just be possible after all."

Slowly, careful not to reveal his position to any of the ninja on the shore, the figure began swimming towards the large group of children on the beach.

XxX

"Ok, now the theory is over with kids." Iruka announced. All the children looked up and, for a second, Iruka thought he could see a ripple in the water behind them. Staring at it for a second and seeing no movement, Iruka discarded it as a fish before continuing his assignment.

"Tenten and Hinata will now be giving you some instructions to physical exercises and we'll all be walking around to help and instruct. Listen well, try your best and don't be afraid to ask questions." Spotting the look on the faces of some of the kids, especially Konohamaru he quickly added, "But only questions related to the training!"

"All right, Group 1, you'll be doing running exercises along the beach for the next ten minutes. Ino will watch over you so try to keep up." Tenten announced. "Group 2 will be going with Hinata and Iruka-sensei to do some basic fighting forms and Group 3 will join me and Sakura to do shuriken-throwing training."

A murmur of "Yes ma'am" and "all right!" sounded through the kids as they scattered out in the appointed groups.

XxX

'Wow, that was close.' The Man in the Water thought as he disappeared in the waves. 'That chuunin almost noticed me. Now, let's see what I got here.'

He didn't move, instead he let the waves control his camouflaged body while he observed for several minutes.

'The Chuunin's not showing any skills but he's obviously the strongest one there.' He concluded after a few minutes. 'From the instructions he gives and the things he spots he looks like a pretty good teacher, even if I can't hear what he's saying over here. He could possibly give me some trouble, so I'll take him out first. The Brunette girl looks pretty comfortable with weapons and has a good aim, while the Blond doesn't seem to be in a bad shape either. I can't see what the Blond and Pink are capable of in a fight, but from their age I'd guess they're chuunin. And the Hyuuga girl looks quite agile, but there's no confidence in anything she does. And those kids, they could be a minor annoyance but most of them can't even give a punch or throw a shuriken. But I was never concerned with academy students anyway.'

Below the waves, the mysterious figure grinned suddenly.

'This looks easier and easier… I'll do what I came to do, finish off any witnesses and get the hell out of there before any other ninja can interfere. Thanks for bringer my target out here Mr. Chuunin.'

XxX

"All right guys, two more rounds. Keep it up!" Ino encouraged as the young students heaved, red-faced, across the set course. Running in the sand was something they were not used to.

Suddenly the blond kunoichi could feel a large chakra build up behind her. She turned around, just in time to see a huge blue water-dragon's head course towards the beach. A second later Iruka had thrown a kunai with an explosive tag directly into the water-dragon's mouth, destroying it just before it impacted on the beach. It exploded with such force that a lot of the children were still blown back, while the water rained down upon them.

In the distance they could see a tall figure, carrying something on his back, approach along the water. For a second, Sakura was fearfully reminded of Zabuza, but when the figure spoke up his voice was much lighter, younger and energetic then the Demon of the Mist's voice.

"So, you did notice me back then?" he said. There was no mocking tone in the voice, or any sign of acknowledgment other then stating a fact. "Guess you're a bit better then I thought… oh well."

Slowly the figure raised one hand to the object on its back and slowly unsheathed a sword that was just as long as Zabuza's had been.

"Hey kids…" he said as he drew ever closer. "I hope you enjoyed your day on the beach…"

He suddenly moved in a dash as he said, with eerie calm, his next words.

"'Cause you're all gonna die on this beach!"

* * *

A/N:

I would like to thank my two beta's Zephyir-Tai-Ji and Mirrors of Illusion for helping with the beta of this chapter.

As always, please review and tell me what you think.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: still don't own nothing. please don't sue me, it's not like you'll get anything from it anyway.

* * *

"'Cause you're all gonna die on this beach!"

As he said those words, the stranger rushed forward, his sword held in one hand.

Sakura suddenly had memories of Zabuza flashing through her mind, remembering the fear and terror she had felt both times her team had fought the demon-like man. She prepared herself for a fight, drawing out a kunai to fight with, when a sudden green-and-blue blur moved past her.

"You Kunoichi protect the class, keep them all together and analyze his strategies and movements!" Iruka yelled as he rushed towards the swordsmen.

At once the four girls obeyed his command, quickly herding the children together and forming a line in front of them.

"Don't get away from us!" Sakura ordered, keeping her eyes on her old teacher.

While running towards the new enemy Iruka quickly threw three kunai. All three kunai were knocked to the side with one swipe of the long, thin sword and landed in the water some distance away from their original target. The moment they hit the water, the knife's exploded, causing large geyser to explode.

Before the water had even reached it's highest point, the two men clashed together, steel on steel, as a large 'clink' could be heard. Iruka had pulled out a fourth Kunai and blocked the man's sword, just as Kakashi had done to Zabuza's massive weapon so long ago.

But the chuunin was being pushed back, even with the swordsmen using only one hand to wield his blade. He held up for a second, but with a sudden movement the swordsmen pushed Iruka's arms upward and quickly kicked Iruka in the stomach. Iruka moved back several meters before regaining his composure.

"Hey, not bad Mr. Chuunin." The Swordsman said. "You jumped back just in time to reduce the damage from my kick, I hardly had any feedback from it. Nice sense of timing, but you lack POWER!" with that last word, he pushed off hard from the water and pushed his shoulder to Iruka's chest. The sudden force threw the Chuunin off-balance and made it impossible for Iruka to counter-attack. Instead he dropped an explosive tag he was holding and quickly jumped back. The explosion was instantaneous.

XxX

For a few seconds Sakura couldn't see what happened to either fighter. But they were on a large open lake and there was a strong breeze, so the smoke of the explosion cleared quickly. She could see Iruka-sensei, breathing hard, with some burn marks on his sleeves and cheeks; the explosion had been so fast that he didn't have time to evade it himself.

Some meters away from him, standing in an orb of water, was the Swordsmen that attacked them. For the first time Sakura could see what he looked like and she could see that he looked very different from the second most feared opponent she had ever encountered.

He was tall, taller than Iruka-sensei by at least a head, and muscular. Like Zabuza he didn't wear a shirt, only wearing some buckles to hold the sheath of his sword and a jacket underneath it. He wore similar loose pants that allowed easy movements. All of his clothes, few as they were, were colored in a light ocean-blue and were almost invisible with the water around him. As a flow of the water lifted his left sleeve, a Mist-headband became visible, tight to his biceps. But there two large scratches through the symbol of the village.

All in all he could have passed for a younger Zabuza in terms of clothes, but there was one thing that really stood out to Sakura. She couldn't see it clearly through the watery-orb, but now that it was lowered she could see that he was almost completely bald. There was only one, very long, stroke of blond hair that flowed down from the top of his head, in between his eyes, split just over his nose and ended a bit below his jaw line.

If it weren't for the amount of killing intention she was feeling from the young man, Sakura would have laughed at the ridiculous hairstyle. As it was however, Sakura was already feeling cold sweat flowing down the sides of her face as she watched the fight.

"Wow, that took some guts." He said, looking at Iruka-sensei. "If I hadn't pulled up my water-barrier I would have had some serious trouble. But as it is, that attack took quiet a toll on you didn't it, Mr Teacher?"

Iruka-sensei didn't say anything, looking rather shocked that his opponent was still unhurt.

In that moment of shock, the Swordsman attacked. He slashed Iruka-sensei through the chest, but the chuunin instantly exploded into a log.

"Not bad, but still not good enough!" kicking behind him, without even watching, the swordsman hit Iruka on the head as he appeared out of the water. Stunned for a second, he couldn't defend himself as he was hit hard on the jaw with the hilt of the sword. This time, the Chuunin was really sent flying back a bit, but it was the follow-up kick to the stomach that really caused him to fly back and crash on the small beach, only a few meters to the side of his class.

XxX

"SENSEI!" "Are you alright?" "I'm scared!" Several children in the class called out. Ino, as the closest, stepped forward to help Iruka up, but the Chuunin suddenly shouted at her.

"Don't! You four protect the children at all costs! That's an order!"

The four Gennin were torn: they wanted to help the Chuunin out, he was having too much trouble on his own, but doing that meant more then just defying a direct order from a superior: it would also mean leaving the children, the future of their village, without a proper defense.

'Oh no,' Sakura thought with desperation, 'If he defeats Iruka-sensei, we're pretty much defenseless… it's a five minute trip for a ninja to come here from the edge of the village. In that time he could easily kill us all!'

She stepped closer, deciding that their best bet was to buy some more time until reinforcements would arrive; this man was obviously above Chuunin level, most likely a Jounin; they stood very little chance of defeating him like they were, they didn't have enough power and they couldn't compensate with teamwork either.

But all of a sudden, Hinata held out an arm to stop the pink-haired Kunoichi. The Hyuuga heiress was observing the battle with her Byakugan, and she had obviously seen something that Sakura had not. A second later she de-activated her Byakugan, as if there was something she couldn't look at while using it.

"Don't." she said. "We have to follow our orders. And Iruka-sensei isn't out of the fight yet."

But even as she said that, something that was obviously meant to encourage the others that Iruka-sensei could win, it was obvious from the tone of her voice that she was also very scared.

"A brave teacher till the end." the Swordsmen said as he walked onto the beach. "Risking your own life to save your students. Well, at the very least you'll have a good death, worthy of a Ninja."

"Oh yeah? Who said I would die?" Iruka retorted. The instant he said it, there were four large explosions centered around the blond Swordsman. The entire area was covered with exploding sand and smoke, but just like before the Swordsman had managed to pull up a water-barrier. But this time, the explosions, coupled with the sand, had thrown the jounin into the air, water-orb and all. The orb itself was also obviously weakened, but still the Swordsman was unharmed.

"Almost! You almost had me!" he said, amusement in his voice. "But this will end now!"

"Yes it will!" Iruka said, his hands flashing through seals. "Let's see how you like this! Fire Element: Flames Comets!"

Iruka's hands burst into flames, and he started a series of wild throws. With each throw, a large stream of fire burst out of his hands, all aimed towards the still floating Swordsman.

"What the?" was all the swordsmen said. In a matter of seconds, the chuunin had fired over twenty large fireballs at him, and already his hands were flashing through more seals.

'A second technique? Oh shit…'

"Wind element: Harsh Winds!" Iruka shouted. He breathed in deeply and then exhaled towards his enemy. But instead of normal breath, a cyclone of sorts burst out of his mouth. It caught up to the fire-comets and instantly the flames were absorbed in the cyclone. But they didn't die out; instead the flames mangled with the cyclone and create a cyclone of fire.

"Duel Element: Firestorm!"

Without any way to maneuver, the airborne Mist Ninja could do nothing but hope his defensive orb could last against the attack.

XxX

'Wow…' There were no other words that Sakura could think of to describe what Iruka-sensei had just done. 'He turned the tide of that fight with a clever trap… wait a second, that must be why Hinata stopped me from stepping closer; she had seen the trap Sensei had set. And what's more… with that huge flame attack it should be quite visible from some distance away that something isn't right here!'

"Really gives you a whole new level of respect for him doesn't it?" Ino said from Sakura's side, sounding just as awed as Sakura was feeling. "We've never seen him fight, but that was really impressive. Most people would ignore a few small explosions and chakra bursts because of the continuous ninja training in the village, but if there is this many, it should be obvious to most shinobi that there is an actual battle going on. He's holding him off and sending out for reinforcements at the same time."

"Yeah, that's impressive. But just to be sure, I'll do this." As Tenten spoke, she threw up a handful of shuriken, all with explosive tags attached into the air. The massive explosion that followed was big enough to be heard all throughout Konoha.

"Be careful," Hinata suddenly said, "Even that last attack didn't finish him off. I can see him getting up about fifty meters back."

"I can't fight him off much longer." Iruka suddenly said. He was standing next to his class, clutching his sides and looking like he could hardly catch his breath. "Sakura, Ino you two focus on guarding the class until we get some back-up. Hinata, use your Byakugan and keep a check on him for me. Warn me of any tricks he uses. Tenten, you serve as my long-range back up, don't get anywhere near the fight but attack from a range whenever you get the chance. Normally I'd order you to retreat with the entire class, but that will draw his focus away from me, and he's already shown that he's capable of very powerful water-elemental Ninjutsu. He'd hit you in the back while you're retreating."

"Yes sir!" all four girls replied. Hinata instantly activated her Bloodline limit, scanning the area for the Swordsman. Tenten pulled out a scroll and within a second had numerous weapons ready for instant use. Meanwhile, Sakura and Ino put the children into an even tighter circle, standing guard in front of them. Konohamaru and his two friends forced their way to the front of the circle, but didn't dare move any closer.

"Iruka-sensei, be careful." Tenten warned. "He has a headband from the Hidden Mist and carries a large sword. That sword is a ōdachi; it's something that was considered to heavy to wield for normal people, but he's easily swinging it with one hand. There's a good possibility that he's not just an ordinary Jounin, but one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist…" Tenten let the sentence hang in the air. With the exception of Sakura, none of them had ever encountered one of the Seven, but they held a legendary reputation.

"You are correct little missy!" a voice sounded from the lake. "I am indeed one of the Seven, although, admitted, I am the weakest one in the group."

XxX

Tsunade was still in her office, talking with her old teacher and teammate, when the signs of battle were revealed. The three of them had brushed off the first few minor explosions as a demonstration of the power of an explosive tag, but they could hardly ignore what they saw now.

"What is that?" Shizune asked as she ran into the Hokage's office.

"A combination attack of two different Ninjutsu." Tsunade answered. "But what could be going on over there?"

"One thing is for certain, Iruka wouldn't show something like that to his students without good reason." the Third said. "And such a combination is something that only a chuunin level ninja or higher could use. It's not unthinkable that Iruka and his class are in trouble and need assistance."

"But how could an enemy slip into Konoha without being detected?" Tsunade voiced aloud.

"Because the village is still weakened from the war, our forces are scattered thin and we can't patrol every opening in the village. But let's discuss this later and see what's going on first!" as he spoke, Jiraiya, who still had a black eye, already jumped out of the window and started moving towards the lake. A second later Tsunade and Shibata followed him.

XxX

"Sensei, I'll do my best to support you, but I'm not used to your maneuvering. If I throw too many weapons there's a chance I'll hit you as well. How should we do this?" Tenten asked.

'If I was with Lee, Gai-sensei or Neji this wouldn't be a problem at all! I can dream every maneuver they make…'

"For now just focus on distracting him while we're at a distance and forcing him away when I try to back off." Iruka said. "It's been a while since I've last been in a fight so I lost my touch a bit. I'm burning through my chakra just to keep up with him. Also, try to disable any big techniques he uses with explosive tags. It shouldn't be too long before back-up arrives."

"Got it. Hinata, warn me if he starts gathering up chakra for a technique. If he really is one of the Seven then he'll be too fast at seal making for me to keep up with."

"Are you done talking over there? Because I don't have all day!" the Swordsman charged again. This time, Tenten threw a handful of shuriken and Kunai, a few with explosive tags again, towards him. Like before a single swipe of his sword was enough to deflect most of the projectiles. They exploded around him as both men clashed together in the lake again, making it rain around them. But Iruka's fatigue was obvious; he couldn't hold the swordsman back anymore, and he couldn't react to the attacks in time either.

With the difference in power so obvious, it was only a matter of seconds before Iruka jumped backwards. Tenten instantly sent a barrage of weapons, ranging from kunai to axes. The Swordsman sidestepped and swept his sword around, preventing any damage to his body. As a sole tribute to Tenten's aim, there were scratches all over his clothes, but even she never managed to hit him.

The Swordsman had closed the distance on Iruka in a split second; before the chuunin could react, he attacked. Blood flew through the sky as Iruka was cut across the chest. He had only managed to stay alive because Tenten had thrown a shuriken with explosive between him and his attacker at the last second. The blast threw Iruka back to the beach, but again the Swordsman escaped harm.

'Damn… this guy reacts to damn well against long-range attacks!' Tenten thought with a terror and annoyance.

Sakura jumped forward, leaving the class for a second, and grabbed Iruka from where he had crashed. She quickly dragged him back, while Tenten kept barraging the Swordsman to keep him away. Even with all her efforts, little by little he still got closer to the beach.

With an unspoken agreement, Hinata and Ino started throwing weapons to their enemy as well, while Sakura checked up on the condition of her old teacher.

'The wounds aren't too deep.' She thought with relief. 'The cut isn't bleeding badly either and his burns are minor. His injuries are all right, but how are we going to get out of this situation?"

"This is going really bad, really fast!" Ino said, a clear note of fear in her voice.

As she looked up, Sakura saw that the Swordsman had already reached the edge of the beach. It would only take a few steps for him to reach the class…

'What do we do? What can we do? If we turn and run he'll kill us in an instant! What… what… what??' Sakura was getting desperate, her thoughts turning to chaos and despair, when one of the most unexpected things ever happened.

Hinata suddenly rushed forward, jumped and aimed a strike at the Swordsman. Like with Iruka-sensei, her attack was easily dodged, but she quickly turned on her toes to evade the counter-attack and stroke again. The hilt of the sword, preventing even her Jyuuken from being effective, blocked her attack. The strike against the powerful handle, combined with the strength that the swordsman had put into the defensive move, coupled to break Hinata's wrist as soon as she made contact. In her moment of pain, the Swordsman kicked her up, but unlike with Iruka he balanced her on one leg instead of sending her flying. As he stood in his strange form of a split, he spoke up again.

"I got you now little Hyuuga girl."

"HINATA!" Sakura yelled, but there was nothing she could do. All of a sudden, she saw one of the children running fast towards the Swordsman and Hinata. The agile footwork and flowing black hair erased all her doubts about who it was; Hanabi was running to her sister with all the speed she could muster.

But she was still a mere student, and she was detected before she was even halfway there. With a creepy smile on his face, the Swordsman moved suddenly and spin-kicked Hinata away, crashing her right into Hanabi. Both of the Hyuuga's fell into the sand, both with some blood dripping from their mouths.

Hinata, being the more experienced and better-trained fighter, was the first to regain her feelings and saw their quarry charge at them. She quickly pushed Hanabi away and rolled to the side herself, narrowly avoiding a stab of the long sword. The stab was so powerful that the sand was flying up and temporarily blinded the Swordsman. With her Byakugan, Hinata had less problems seeing through the sand-geyser. She ran around him, grabbed her sister with her good arm and ran back.

Before she was halfway back, she was forced to duck and fall into the sand again to evade a wide swing. If it hadn't been for her Byakugan, Hinata wouldn't have noticed the attack coming at all. As she tried to get up, she was again forced to roll aside and evade an attack. This time, she rolled to her feet and got up in a stance. A few meters to her side, Hanabi did the same.

As one the two sisters charged at their opponent, for a second it almost seemed like it was another of the trainings they had done with their father, but a second later the image had already faded as they spun into familiar motions. They attacked at the same time, but their hands were dodged easily. The same happened to their follow up, and then they were forced to duck as the blade sang through the air again. As soon as it passed over her head, Hinata stood back up and moved forward to attack. She saw her mistake a second too late.

Instead of finishing his wide swing, the Swordsman had pulled back his blade in mid-swing and caught both Hinata and Hanabi with the back of the blade. Stars swam in her vision as Hinata and her sister were sent flying again. But this time, they were both too hurt to get back up.

Just as the long sword was raised into the air again, aiming for a killing strike on the two heirs of Konoha's strongest clan, three other kids ran forth and interfered. Konohamaru had not been able to watch it any longer, so he did the only thing he could do: he rushed forward to defend his friends.

"Hanabi-chan!" he shouted as he jumped up to kick the Swordsman's hand away, sword and all. But instead of the desired effect, the arm didn't move at all. Konohamaru was halted in mid-air, before a miniature movement pushed him back.

"And another spirited kid tries to be a hero." The attacker said with amusement. "You Konoha shinobi are all pretty brave aren't you? But you also throw your lives away far too easy."

"Oh yeah? I don't plan on throwing my life away at all!" Konohamaru retorted, then turned to Moegi and Udon. "Ready guys? Let's use what Nii-chan taught us and beat him!" the other two gave a quick nod, stood before Hinata and Hanabi and as quick as they could they created the seals needed.

"Take this!" Konohamaru said. "The one technique no man can resist, a sure-fire, instant-kill attack that will create a rain of your blood!" all three settled into the final seal at the same time. Sakura also realized at the same moment what they were going to use.

'No way! Even they're not stupid enough to…'

"SEXY TECHNIQUE!"

'Guess they are…'

At once the three were covered in smoke, but it cleared away in seconds. In the place of the three young children now stood three beautiful teenage girls, each one completely naked. As they struck their most alluring posses, everyone else suddenly face faulted.

Again the Swordsman was the first to recover.

"I don't know who taught you that, but you need a new teacher." He said as he chuckled at the show. "It _might_ have worked if you hadn't transformed right in front of my nose though. Now I know you're nothing but a bunch of children, so there's hardly any temptation."

With an almost lazy movement, he smacked them with the back of his sword, dispelling the transformations and sending them crashing to sand right next to Hinata and Hanabi.

"A shame too. Konoha will loose a lot of its spirit today." The Swordsman said as he raised his sword above his head in both hands, ready for a full-power strike. "But at least find some consolation in the fact that you won't feel any pain at all."

He tensed up for a second, as Sakura started yelling out in desperation. A half-dozen other voices suddenly joined her cry.

"Konohamaru!" "Moegi! Udon!" "Hamaru-chan!" "Han-chan!" several of the children shouted, but the Swordsman didn't even halt his strike. The moment he started his downward movement, something else strange suddenly happened.

A large blur, there was no other way to describe it because it moved too fast for Sakura to see- far faster then Iruka-sensei had moved, consisting of black, orange, yellow and red suddenly jumped out of the bushes. Before anyone, even the Swordsman, had time to react the blur reached the 4 defeated students and the kunoichi. The next instant, something extended from the blur, connected with the Swordsman's face and sent him flying into the air. As the Swordsman flew more then thirty meters back into the lake, the blur came to a halt.

A figure that Sakura didn't immediately recognize was sitting before Hinata and the students. The class could only see his back, because he didn't once take his eyes of his new opponent. Dressed without his jacket, the black shirt he always wore was obvious for everyone to see above his still-orange pants. His left was rubbing his right fist, almost fearfully, but the angle he made while crouched down made it almost impossible to see whom it really was.

Slowly the figure released his hand and stood. By standing everyone could see his orange pants, but he still didn't raise his head yet. Instead he suddenly spoke.

"Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon," he started in the voice that was all too familiar to Sakura, "Get back to your class and take Hinata and her sister with you."

He finally raised his head, showing his blond spiky hair and Konoha forehead protector at last. And so, for the first time in over three months, a fully healed Uzumaki Naruto stood ready for battle.

"Leader's orders!"

* * *

A/N:

And the first 100 percent original battle starts. Hope you enjoyed it so far. Again, a couple other characters had a chance to shine in battle and Naruto is finally fully healed.

As always many thanks to my two beta's Kunshin ex and Mirrorsofillusion.

Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto, the Naruto-universe or anything that belongs to it.

* * *

As soon as Naruto stood up, huge identical grins broke out on the faces of the Konohamaru Corps.

"Naruto-nii-chan!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Leader!" Moegi and Udon piped up at the same time.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata's voice was weak, much weaker than anyone expected. From behind, others also voiced their surprise at the sudden intruder. Most of the children didn't know who this was, but they didn't think he looked very strong at all, so they weren't really put at ease by his presence.

"What're you waiting for?" Naruto asked, looking over his shoulder to Konohamaru. "I gave you a direct order!" he didn't dare turn away from the Swordsman, despite there still being a lot of distance between them, but he didn't have to know that Konohamaru was grinning at his back; it was the first time Naruto had ever made use of his position as 'Leader.'

The young boy quickly snapped to a solute, shouted a "Yes Sir!" and moved to help Hanabi up. Besides him, Udon and Moegi moved to help Hinata up as well. The eldest sister still had her Byakugan activated when Naruto arrived, but she couldn't look at her childhood crush with her special eyes. Not only was there the strangeness of being able to see through his clothes, which was distractingly enough for her, but she literally couldn't look at his right arm; the chakra that ran through it was so intense and bright that it blinded her.

Naruto looked at her for a second, meeting her eyes, to check if she was doing well enough, then turned back to look for the Swordsman.

"Don't worry Hinata-san." Moegi said as she supported the older girl. "With the Leader here, everything will be fine. He'll make sure no-one hurts us."

XxX

Meanwhile, the Swordsman was lying still in the water a little less then a hundred meters away. He was feeling how his body was doing after that rather powerful and surprising punch he got to the jaw.

'Damn…' he thought, 'that really came as a surprise. I didn't even sense him until he was right in front of me. This guy is pretty good then, getting so close without being detected. But more importantly, that punch hurt like hell. He popped me one right in the jaw and if I hadn't been able to twist my head a second before impact he'd have shattered it… I'll have to be careful, he has some real power.'

After a few seconds of rest to recover the damage, the Swordsman got up and started rethinking his strategy again.

'I wasn't expecting any reinforcements to arrive for at least another five minutes. It's too far from the village to travel here in such a short time… he must have already been on his way here and was just close by accident. But with him here, he could keep me busy long enough for even more forces to arrive… which is a really bad thing for me. But then again, the Chuunin and that weapon's girl already made sure that everyone knew something is going on over here…'

He threw his sword in the air, his decision made, and started flashing through hand seals as he gathered his chakra.

'Since they'll be after me anyway, I'll finish this in one shot. Use my most powerful jutsu to wipe them all out in one go. I don't need them to be alive to succeed. I just need their heads.'

XxX

The instant the Swordsman started gathering his chakra; Hinata felt the increase in the air. A sudden, heavy, presence enclosed on them as the Swordsman let his chakra balance precariously on the edge of safe and volatile. A second later Naruto also realized what was going on, even though he couldn't really see the Swordsman from his position.

"Oh crap!" he cursed. He quickly turned around, his hands already moving through the 'oh so familiar' seals as he shouted to the others.

"KEEP THEM ALL TOGETHER! HE'S GOING TO TRY A BIG ONE! I HAVE AN IDEA, BUT KEEP THEM ALL CLOSE TOGETHER!"

His hands stopped, his fingers in the familiar cross mark, and instantly 5 clones popped into existence. Each of the five Naruto's grabbed one of the people behind him and dashed for the class, while the real Naruto bit his right thumb, flinching at the pain that simple movement caused, and started performing more seals.

XxX

The Swordsman, however, had better eyesight then Naruto. He was used to seeing his opponents from a distance and could see what was going on the beach even though he was flashing through the seals.

'Shadow Clones? This kid has some good high level Ninjutsu as well as power. Wait a second…' suddenly he remembered a rumor he had heard about two months back, the day before he deserted his village. 'Blond hair, shadow clones… no, he can't be. That kid who defeated the Kazekage's son destroyed his right arm and this guy has a mean right hook. Can't be the same guy.'

Just as Naruto neared the class, the Swordsman finally finished his seals, grabbed his sword just as it fell in front of him and performed the same movement he did with all his long range Ninjutsu.

He swung his sword back, guiding the molded chakra into it. The sword's unique metal, a metal so old and rare no-one even remembered the name, enhanced the chakra he poured into it and shot it out the same way he would have normally done, only twice as strong as before.

It was that ability of his sword that allowed him to be chosen as the new member of the Seven. It was also the reason why he was specialized in long-range combat, despite wielding a sword.

As the chakra poured out of the sword, the water around him was drawn up and formed into the familiar appearance of a dragon's head.

"WATER ELEMENT: FIVE DRAGON BLAST!"

XxX

As Sakura watched Naruto, she was extremely surprised by what she saw, even after having seen him in the battle with Gaara. His entrance was very different from what he normally would have done; actually damaging his opponent this time rather then simply distracting him as Naruto had done against Orochimaru so long ago. Then he had calmly given some orders to Konohamaru and the others and noticed the instant the Mist ninja started to create a very powerful Ninjutsu.

Then Naruto created seals faster then she had ever seen him or Sasuke-kun do. He had quickly created a couple of Shadow Clones to carry the others back and rushed back himself, biting his thumb, causing it to bleed extremely sever, in the process and made his seals even faster.

She could also clearly see the Swordsman shooting five very familiar looking water beams from the tip of his sword and became scared at the shear intensity of the chakra they gave off: in the last second before the attack was fired, the chakra became twice as strong.

She could see the dragon's heads getting closer to her, reminding her of the time she watched Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza fight. But this time Kakashi-sensei wasn't around to cancel out the attack, there was only Naruto.

And Naruto couldn't make it in time! He was still running and forming seals and the dragons were getting closer.

The dragons were nearly there and Naruto was still away.

She could see the dragons touched the sand, they would crash into the group of children in an instant and they'd all be killed!

Suddenly Naruto's speed increased dramatically, his seals over with and his clones dispelled. He was suddenly in front of the class, mere inches away from the give great dragons that would crush their puny bodies. She could see Naruto move from the corner of her eye, but there was nothing he could do…

Just as Naruto stopped moving and touched the ground, everything around Sakura went white as the deafening roar of water upon ground resounded through the area.

XxX

"That should have finished them off." the Swordsman said with confidence as he watched the waves and clouds that grew from his targeted area. No one could survive a direct impact of his five-dragon attack.

"Now I have to hurry up and take their bodies before anyone else shows up." He moved closer to the edge of the lake, but stopped moving ten meters from the beach. The smoke was beginning to clear and most of the water had already dropped, so he could slowly make out what he saw on the beach.

"No way… that's just… there is no way this is happening." He exclaimed with amazement at what he saw. "What the hell is that?!"

As the smoke cleared and the sounds subdued he could clearly hear the signs that, on the other side of whatever was facing him, there were people alive and unharmed.

Standing in front of him were five gigantic stone toads, all dressed in various armor and carrying a different weapon. Each of them was easily as large as a house, each of them had their front paws crossed as if to block an attack and they looked like they each weighed at least three tons. Three were standing next to each other, the other two atop them. And standing above them, so high that it was would have been hard to see if his hair didn't stand out so much from the bright blue sky, stood that blond brat. One hand was still down on the head of the toad: he had only barely managed to summon them in time.

Standing up tall, literally looking down on the Swordsman, the brat spoke up to answer the question that had just been asked.

"Ninja style: Summoning: Royal Stone Toad Guard." He said from above. "The strongest defense a toad summoner can call upon. There is no way a normal human can break through this defense."

'Ok,' the Swordsman thought, analyzing the new information, 'Bright blond hair, orange pants, pretty good movements and toad summoning. This kid is definitely the one who fought in the Chuunin exams. Just my luck, if he starts to slug it out there's not a lot I can do. So then I'll just have to take the initiative and kill him before he gets into the flow of things.'

With that, he gripped his sword more tightly and charged forward.

XxX

From atop the Stone Toads, Naruto could see that his opponent charged forward. He was happy that his opponent did the moving, because he was feeling exhausted for a few seconds.

'Yeah, you come to me. I need a couple seconds to regain my chakra. I can hardly move right now.'

Summoning the Stone Toad Guard was already a very draining technique. Summoning five of the Royal Stone Toad Guard was something that no normal man would have been able to do, since they cost even more chakra then the summoning of Gamabunta. And worse, they required a constant flow of chakra to stay in the Human World, because they couldn't contain themselves in it.

So, with a single hand-seal Naruto dispelled the giant statues, hoping that his opponent was also low on chakra after that last attack. Even as he fell the twelve or so meters he could feel new chakra flowing through his circulation system, powering him up again. He landed swiftly on his feet, just in time to evade the first slash of the Swordsman.

Kicking up some of the sand as he jumped back, Naruto managed to blind his enemy for a second and charged forward. A wide swing with his right barely missed as the Swordsman evaded it with a sway. He followed up by swinging his own sword low, but Naruto jumped over it to evade, barely in time to escape the deadly weapon.

While Naruto was in the air, he could feel another attack coming from above. Trusting his instincts, he raised his left hand up and managed to catch the leg of the Swordsman, who was now standing on one of his hands after a strange maneuver. In their current positions, neither Naruto nor the Swordsman could attack anymore, so they both jumped back to regain some breathing room.

Taking a few steps back, the two fighters didn't take their eyes of each other, trying to figure out a weak spot in their opponent's abilities to attack.

XxX

'Amazing…' all students watching the fight were dumbstruck, amazed at what was happening. For almost all of them, the children from special clans excluded, it was the first time they had ever seen a shinobi fight.

Standing in front of his classmates, Konohamaru grinned broadly as he stood next to Hinata, Ino and Tenten. He did his exact imitation of Naruto's confident bragging stance, arms crossed and eyes almost closed.

"I told you that Nii-chan wouldn't let us get hurt. He's the best!" deciding not to take his eyes off this fight, because his nii-chan would no doubt finish it in a matter of seconds, Konohamaru looked at the back of the man he oh so respected and admired.

Naruto was standing directly in front of the class with the Swordsman some way ahead of him. Neither ninja was moving, but Konohamaru could see that Naruto's right hand moved a bit closer to his leg, as if he wanted to grab something there.

'Of course!' the young Sarutobi realized, 'Nii-chan doesn't have his weapons with him! I have to- that's it!'

"Sakura-nee-san, can I borrow your kunai holster and weapon pouch?" he asked, looking at the pink-haired girl that was trying to tend to Iruka-sensei's back while keeping an eye on the fight.

"Why would you need them? Unlike the training kunai you use the ones I carry are all dangerous. And don't think you can help Naruto by throwing kunai at that guy; if Tenten couldn't hit him there's no way you can." She warned.

"I know! But it's not for me! Naruto-nii-chan doesn't have any weapons with him and you're the only one that still has all the weapons you brought along! Everyone else already used some to fight that guy! Come on, please!"

As he said the last part, he clapped his hands together and closed his eyes as if he was begging her to give the weapons to him. Sakura couldn't resist him like that and, although worrying that she was now essentially unarmed, she unclasped her weapon pouch and kunai holder and handed them over to the boy.

XxX

'That was a close one.' Naruto thought, for the first time really thinking about what had just happened in the fight. 'If I hadn't noticed that attack he did at the end, I would be eating sand right now. But, it also made me realize a weakness of his. Just now, he didn't attack me himself until there was an opening he could safely exploit. Until he knows that it's safe to use his body, he'll fight me with his sword. But how can I use that?'

"Naruto-nii-chan!" Konohamaru suddenly cried from behind, "CATCH!"

Without turning around, Naruto raised both his arms, his right thumb still bloody but already healed, to the sides and caught the two items the boy had thrown at him. With a single movement he clasped the pouch on his pants, and then swiftly bent down on one knee to attach the holster, never taking his eyes off his opponent. Then he suddenly thought about what he could do.

'If he'll only attack when there's an opening, all I have to do is make sure there're no openings! But how can I do that? Maybe if I'll just rush in and surprise him…'

But just as he thought that, he could remember what Ero-Sennin had taught him about shinobi fights.

"_Maybe, but there's more to fighting then just knowing the best and most powerful techniques, you should know that. It's about strategy; analyzing your opponent's abilities, reading your enemies moves, timing your attacks and feeling your way through the battle. All of those thinks are what make a shinobi strong. If you have that, even a shinobi with the weakest of __jutsu__ can defeat someone who knows all the jutsu in the world. And you really need to work on using your head in a fight brat. From what I heard and saw, you do things without thinking ahead. That's a brawler, not a shinobi. That's what makes a shinobi into some of the greatest fighters in the world. We have the ability to THINK when we're fighting and trick our opponents when battling. That's our greatest strength and most powerful advantage."_

'He's right, I have to stay calm and think of something. Blindly rushing in won't do me any good. But what can I do? Come on, think, think, Think! I've fought other swordsman before, how did I manage then? Against Zabuza I couldn't really do anything, that was all Kakashi-sensei who fought him directly, and against Kimimaro I couldn't even get close… but what can I… THAT SHARK GUY! He said something about fighting weapons… what was it, what was it… come on Naruto, remember it….'

"_You have spirit kid, I like that. But with your arm like that and your level of skill you won't even be able to scratch me. So how about I give you a little advice__,__ I'll have a handicap. It'll be more fun that way! Now listen, 'cause I'll only say this once. When you're facing an enemy like me, who uses a long weapon, there's an easy way of predicting where the weapon will strike long before it reaches you. Most weapons can't change directions independent of their wielder's movements. So if you want to read it, all you have to do is look at your enemy's wrist; it'll show you the movements well before the weapon itself reaches you."_

'That's it! I have to watch his wrist… now then, focus on his wrist, focus, FOCUS!'

His plan finally made, Naruto crouched down and rushed forward. The Swordsman, who had also been thinking of a strategy against the agile and quickly-reacting blond slashed at him, but Naruto easily ducked underneath it.

'Keep my eyes on his wrist! Watch his hands move!' he thought. The Swordsman raised an arm, preparing for a downward slash, but Naruto stepped to the side. Before he could attack however, the Swordsman had stepped back as well. Two more sword strikes followed and twice more Naruto dodged them perfectly, closing the distance all the while. When he was close enough, he grabbed the handle of the sword after he ducked underneath another strike, pushed it aside and gave another full-power right punch, this time to the Swordsman's gut.

But the older ninja was not blown back this time; instead he had grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt just before the punch had landed and dragged the blond with him. The weight stopped both fighters after a few meters and the Swordsman, still holding Naruto's head down with his elbow, raised his knee to strike the genin in the face.

Naruto turned his head to the side, twisted around to free himself from the hold on his shirt and charged again. With his eyes on the wrist of the Swordsman again, he could read the next strike that was coming and for once he recognized it.

'That's a cross slash, just like Kisame used in the hotel, two quick strikes down and to the side. They'll be too fast to dodge both, gotta get back!' he jumped back just in time, seeing the sand fly upward twice in quick succession.

"Damn kid, you are quick! Stand still already so I can kill you!" the Swordsman shouted as he charged again. This time he held both hands on his sword, preparing for a heavy strike. Naruto quickly ducked underneath the slash, nearly lying flat on the ground to avoid being decapitated, he saw the Sword landing heavily in the ground.

'This is the same as Zabuza's attack! He'll kick me next.' Knowing what would happen, Naruto rolled on the ground instead of standing up, swiping the standing leg away from the Swordsman when he kicked at the area where Naruto should have stood up.

With his position on the ground, Naruto couldn't use his right hand, not to mention it was still hurting from the last punch he gave, so instead he kicked the swordsman on the face. The kick was weak, since Naruto couldn't put any weight behind it from his position, but it still caused some damage.

XxX

"Wow, was Naruto always this good? He never evaded that well against Kiba or Neji." Ino remarked as she watched the fight with her mouth hanging open in amazement. That swordsman can't even touch him!"

"I knew my Nii-chan was amazing! I told you so didn't I?!" Konohamaru bragged.

Next to them, Tenten was watching with wide eyes as well.

"He's not just dodging them." she said with awe, "He's reading those attacks perfectly. And those last couple he even predicted, he was reacting before it was even obvious what would happen. Has he been really holding back this much during the chuunin exams?"

She directed the last question at Sakura, who didn't respond immediately. After she watched both fighters stand back, just outside of the Swordman's attacking range, she answered.

"No, Naruto's never been the type to predict or control an enemy's movements. It was Sasuke-kun who always did that sort of thing, Naruto only reacted to what his enemies did. But he's really different now from how he was when I last saw him fight."

Suddenly she saw Naruto crouch down again, grab a kunai in his left hand and do something she had never seen him do before: he moved into a fighting stance. His left hand in front of him, kunai raised, to easily deflect and block attacks from the sword, while his right arm was tucked in at his side ready to inflict some major damage.

'What happened to you while you were gone Naruto? You're really different then how you were back then.'

XxX

After the last exchange, Naruto had realized that only dodging the attacks wouldn't work. This enemy wouldn't give an opening that way; you'd have to block an attack and throw the attacker off balance to create an opening yourself. But again he felt himself a bit low on chakra and the sting in his fist still wasn't gone completely.

'I need to buy some time to recover…' he realized, 'but how?'

"Ok kid you got me good on that one. You really are good at running away from attacks aren't you?"

A realization dawned upon Naruto, the way to buy some time and get more information about this man; keep him talking.

"Yeah, but those are all attacks I've already seen before. Is copying the other swordsman all you do, or do you have some original stuff of your own as well?"

"What did you say? How have you seen them before and why do you know that other Swordsman also use them?" he asked with surprise.

"Because I've fought them." Naruto answered, regaining his breath a bit and feeling the sting in his hand reducing.

"That's impossible, who did you fight then? Only one of the Seven died in the last two years, but he was killed by the Copy Ninja."

"Yeah," Naruto said, "You mean Zabuza. He's one of the two I've fought. And yeah, he was killed after he fought with my teacher. So now the Seven are reduced to Six eh?"

"No, of course not kid." The Swordsman explained, "Once a shinobi of the Hidden Mist is chosen to join the Seven, he stays a member until his death even if he leaves the village or gets crippled. Upon the death of a member, a new Swordsman is chosen to take his place. And I was the one who replaced Zabuza-sempai after his death."

"All right then, Zabuza's replacement, do you also have a name? And what the hell are you doing here anyway?"

The Swordsman raised his weapon again, preparing to continue the fight, as he answered the question.

"I don't tell my name to people I'm about to kill in seconds, waste of time. And my purpose here is none of your business brat! But who is the second swordsman that you fought?"

'Damn, I was hoping he'd give me an answer already. But let's play this game along then.'

"He was another big guy, with blue skin and a strange weapon. He said his name was Kinare, or something like that. I only met him once and that was very short before he fled."

The eyes of the Swordsman instantly enlarged with shock.

"You mean Kisame? You've fought against Kisame-Sempai and lived?! How?"

Naruto was surprised by how much the behavior of his opponent changed suddenly, but didn't show it.

"My teacher scared him and his partner off without a problem."

"There is no way the copy ninja could scare off Kisame-sempai! Who are you talking about? Who could scare off someone that strong?"

"My new teacher, maybe you've heard of him. An old ninja from Konoha, goes by the name of Jiraiya…" the effect of his words was instantaneous.

The Swordsman tensed up, looked at Naruto with a new fear and respect, then crouched down and prepared to fight.

"Very well then." He said, looking serious for the first time since arriving. "My apologies for how I've fought up till now; I was underestimating you and holding back a lot. But if you have indeed fought against both Zabuza-sempai and Kisame-sempai, and you are who I think you are then I will stop playing right here and now. And as courtesy dictates in a fight where you are really serious, I will introduce myself."

He stood up, stretched out and placed the sword's tip on the ground.

"I am the newest and most junior member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, the heir of Momochi Zabuza's title and ranking. I left my village after I failed too many missions for them to still accept me as a Swordsman. I am Shundei Ikorosu. And don't laugh at my name; it was given to me by my aunt who hates me forever for what happened to my parents."

A few meters opposite, Naruto lowered his stance a bit as well. Just like his opponent he introduced himself, making it sound as impressive as possible.

"And I am the strongest Genin from Konoha, a title I earned by defeated a Hyuuga who held it previously. I have fought against four different advanced bloodlines and against many other strong opponents, all on Jounin level. Among my enemies are the likes of Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi. I am the Konoha Shinobi who defeated Gaara, I am Uzumaki Naruto!"

"A pleasure to meet you at last, you are exactly who I thought you'd be." Ikorosu said.

"Likewise." Naruto said, "But now…"

Both ninja crouched down and launched themselves at the same time. And they shouted out at the same time.

"WE FIGHT!"

* * *

A/N: hope you all enjoyed this chapter with Naruto's full-power comeback to action. The Swordsman's name is also revealed and next chapter things will get really heated up!

Anyway, I am sorry to tell you this is most likely the last 2-week update I'll give you in a while. My school starts again next week so I'll be occupied with that. It may go back to the old 'once a month' update rate but if I can manage in between school I will try to keep the 2 week pace up.

As always thanks to my beta's Kushin eX, mirrorsofillusion. Currently Kushin eX is looking for ideas for oneshots and songfics so if you check out his profile, there is a list of the animé that he knows enough about to write about.

Now or the questions:

RyuuTenshei asks if I know that the Third Hokage's name is Sarutobi Sasuke. InARealPickle also asks who I mean with Shibata.

It is never stated in Canon that the Third's name is Sarutobi Sasuke. The only thing we know is his family name (Sarutobi). This name is obviously based of the famous ninja Sarutobi Sasuke, but it is never stated in canon that it is the Third's name. Instead I have decided to give the Third Hokage a different name from most fans, namely Shibata. Kudos to anyone who can guess how I got up with it.

Blizzard of love asks if Tsunade can block some nerves for Naruto in his arm

This will not work because all the nerves in your body work two ways: they send signals from the brains to make you move and they send signals too the brain to give information. So if you cut of a few nerves you won't feel the pain in your hand anymore, you're right with that. the downside is that you'll lose large amounts of movement and ability in your arms, not a trade-off that's worth the risk.

As always, please review.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: don't own anything, so don't sue me.

* * *

As soon as the words had left their mouth, Naruto and Ikorosu shot forward. A wide vertical slash from Ikorosu was easily dodged, as was Naruto's counter-knee. They kept dancing around each other, never making contact but always dodging or countering. A sudden leg-sweep for Ikorosu had Naruto down on the ground, surprised by the change in Ìkorosu's style.

As he landed on his back, Ikorosu quickly stabbed down aiming to stick it in Naruto's forehead. But the blond reacted quickly, using the kunai still in his left hand to deflect the longer blade. It stabbed the ground right next to Naruto's head and was stuck there for a second. That second was all Naruto needed to kick Ikorosu in the stomach and force him up. Naruto got up at the same time as Ikorosu pulled his blade out. They both turned at the same time to attack each other.

Naruto rushed into Ikorosu's chest and swung his right hand in a wide arc again. At the same time, Ikorosu swung his sword again. As Ikorosu was sent flying back, blood flew from Naruto's back. A wide slash revealed itself on his back, staining the black fabric with his blood.

Naruto crashed to one knee, panting slightly from his exhaustion. He looked at his right fist in surprise: he had hardly gotten any feedback from that last punch. Ikorosu hadn't been touched by his attack but had instead jumped back himself: he had evaded every punch Naruto had thrown at him.

'Guess he wasn't kidding when he said he'd been holding back.' Naruto thought. 'Well, if he's going to get serious, I can't keep up with his movements as well as I did a minute ago. I'd better use Kyuubi's chakra to even the odds. But with all the others here, I can't use too much of it. I can't be sure of my control when I use too much… let's see how he handles it when I use the same amount I used against Neji.'

As he focused and summoned the red chakra that would come from his very core, Naruto was surrounded in an orange flame of chakra. The wound on his back healed within seconds and the blond gennin stood up to continue battle again.

XxX

A few meters ahead, Ikorosu was watching the event with a curious interest.

'That last hit I got in should have him weakened quite a bit before long. Wounds on the back inflict pain with almost every movement and won't stop bleeding quickly. Before long, he'll be in real trouble from- what is that?'

Right in front of him, Naruto was beginning to glow in what he first thought was a flame, but a second later he recognized it as chakra. It was no chakra like any he had ever seen before because it was red, while human chakra was always blue, but it felt just the same as chakra.

'That confirms it…' he quickly concluded. 'No doubt that this kid really is a Jinchuuriki. There's no way he could have chakra like that otherwise. Just my luck… Jinchuuriki are even more dangerous then people with an Advanced Bloodline… good thing he's still a kid, otherwise this might have presented some problems. Let's see how he deals with ranged attack from over here: if he's really still a gennin there's a good chance he can't walk on water yet.'

Placing the tip of his sword on the water, where it stayed thanks to a minimal layer of chakra surrounding the blade, Ikorosu's hands flashed through seals again.

XxX

From the shore, less than thirty meters from the swordsman, Naruto could see what Ikorosu was doing.

Not giving him the chance to fire another powerful ninjutsu attack at the class, Naruto poured some of Kyuubi's chakra into his legs and dashed forward. He had reached Ikorosu at nearly twice the speed he had moved at before, much to the Jounin's surprise. Ikorosu wasn't done with his seals yet, when Naruto pushed him back and off-balance.

Acting immediately, Naruto created a Rasengan with his left hand and moved forward in an attempt to finish the fight. He made contact and the Rasengan exploded, shredding Ikorosu into nothing more than water.

Realizing that he had attacked a Water Clone, Naruto turned around to try and find the real Ikorosu, but was unprepared for the sword that suddenly pierced his chest. As the Shadow Clone was dispelled, Naruto walked out of the forest with a small stream of blood flowing from his lower back.

"Not bad." Ikorosu said as he realized what had happened. "You made a Shadow Clone sometime before and used a Replacement technique to switch places just before I pierced you. But can you do it again?"

"Wait and see fish-boy." Naruto taunted. Just as Ikorosu leaned forward to rush again, the water behind him exploded. He barely turned around in time to see another Naruto behind him with another Rasengan at the ready. He swung forward at the swordsman's back, but was dispelled when a pike of water appeared at a seal of Ikorosu's.

'This kid is damn good with Shadow clones all right. Wait a second, that shadow!' looking up, Ikorosu saw yet another Naruto falling down from the skies, his right hand encased in a mass of red chakra. He could have sworn that the chakra looked like an animal's face, but he had no time to watch the technique carefully. Following his own instincts, Ikorosu jumped away just before the chakra encased fist touched him. Instead it made contact with the water.

"FOX FIST!"

Naruto shouted as everything around him exploded. The explosion caused by the attack was so strong and heated that the water around him instantly turned into a fog. For a second there was a crater in the lake, but the water quickly filled it up again. Ikorosu stood, dumbstruck, just outside of the explosive range.

'Wow… I heard this kid had some dangerous close range attacks, but he has two instant kill moves, along with Toad Summoning. And with his Shadow Clones it'll be difficult to keep this fight at long range; he can just overwhelm me and attack from multiple angles. I'll have to overwhelm him otherwise I have no choice. Oh shit!'

He quickly parried a kunai that had been thrown at him by Naruto, and then rushed forward. Because the explosive tag had been tied around the handle of the kunai, instead of attached to the end like the ones from before, Ikorosu had missed it and wasn't prepared for the explosion that followed.

He was too far to be hurt by the explosion itself, but he was hurled forward, only to meet a kick from Naruto in his back. A small movement with his sword, cutting a scratch into the calves, was enough to prove that he was the real thing.

"Finally got you!" Ikorosu said as he turned around and pushed Naruto.

Not having expected it, the blond was off balance long enough for Ikorosu to kick him in the face, followed by a kick to the stomach and another to his face. He was floating in the air for a second, before Ikorosu punched him, the handle of the sword in his hand, hard. Naruto was send flying back, straight towards the class he was trying to protect. Sakura and Ino jumped out and grabbed the boy, stopping him before he did any damage to himself or any of the others from Konoha.

Meanwhile, Ikorosu quickly stepped back on the water and started forming seals again. With the damage he had inflicted, he knew that Naruto wouldn't recover fast enough to stop him again.

As Naruto recovered from the damage, taking a second because he could almost feel his brains shaking inside his skull after those two kicks, he saw what Ikorosu was doing. But he was already too late: Ikorosu made his final seal, grabbed his sword and swung in front of him so it created a circle.

"WATER ELEMENT: GIANT VORTEX!"

"Oh crap." Naruto said. He could clearly remember Kakashi-sensei using that technique against Zabuza. A strong water-elemental attack that almost completely devastated anything it hit.

From the centre of the blade's spinning a vortex of water began to form, growing larger and spinning faster every second. Naruto threw a kunai towards Ikorosu, but it got stuck in the Vortex, spinning along with it.

'Oh damn, what can I do? There has to be something that'll stop that attack! But what?'

Looking around for a solution, Naruto suddenly noticed Hinata and Hanabi again. They were standing close to each other, both had those same white eyes that were so scary to fight against. Seeing those eyes, Naruto suddenly remembered his fight with Neji.

'Wait… Neji could defend against my attacks by spinning his chakra! If I can do something like that… no I can't, I can't release chakra from my entire body like he did.'

In frustration over his helplessness, Naruto clenched his fists. The sharp sting from his right fist startled him. He still wasn't used to it, but as he looked at the fist he realized something.

'I can't use chakra from my entire body like Neji did,' he thought, 'but I don't have to. This attack is coming from the front, so if I can block that I'll be fine. And I have a technique that requires me to spin my chakra really fast already… and with this arm I might just be able to pull it off.'

Taking another glance in the vortex, Naruto got the final confirmation he needed. He rushed forward, standing in front of the class again. He raised his right arm, supporting it at the wrist with his left, and started focusing the chakra into it.

Almost at once the chakra started to spin like he had wanted it too. The chakra disc he held in front of him grew in size and much like the vortex, it kept spinning faster and faster. Just before the vortex crashed into the beach, the chakra disc reached an equal size.

"This is it! You die now!" Ikorosu shouted.

"Don't think so!" Naruto answered. "Rasengan, First Level of Training!"

The vortex of water slammed into the rotating shield of chakra with a mighty crash, pushing Naruto back. But despite being pushed back by the force of the attack and the weight of the water, Naruto stood his ground and kept up the shield. The water kept crashing into it, pushing Naruto further back even further, but it never breached the shield.

XxX

Ikorosu watched with a combination of shock, awe and respect at what the twelve year old midget opponent was doing. He was actually blocking Ikorosu's second strongest Ninjutsu.

'That brat has some impressive defensive techniques at the ready. And with those two close range attacks he used before he also has a killer offensive. Combine that with the Shadow Clones, his healing rate, reaction time and the red chakra he just used and he's a hell of a problem.'

"I'm glad I'm fighting him now, one or two years later and he'd be a real problem… but that shield of his has one weakness I've already spotted. This will be over in a few seconds."

Keeping the technique flowing from his sword, Ikorosu let go with one hand to prepare for his next move. With any luck, he'd kill that brat and finally take the heads he came for.

And when he brought those heads back to his village, maybe they'd welcome him back again. If he brought them the eyes of the Hyuuga he could become a respected shinobi of the Mist again.

XxX

'Well, at least everyone is alert enough.' Tsunade thought as she gave the sign to hold still and remain undetected to another group of Konoha shinobi. All in all, there were about thirty ninja gathered around, each of them hidden in the forest and masking their presence as well as they could. It was mainly thanks to Naruto's incredible fighting effort that they had gone unnoticed: the amount of chakra he was using was making it near impossible to detect them, masking them, and he was actually forcing this swordsman he was facing to focus all his attention on the hyperactive blond.

"Now that's a use for the Rasengan training I never thought of: the rotation of the shield is canceling out the rotation of the vortex by spinning in the opposite direction." Jiraiya said as he watched Naruto's new shield protecting his friends. "But what I don't get is, why doesn't he just kill Naruto? A real Swordsman wouldn't have that much trouble with a gennin, even if he's using that tip Kisame gave him a few months back. He's toying around way too much."

"I doubt that Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi said. "I think he can't fight any better then that." At the surprised look on he continued, although he kept his voice very low. "After Kisame and Itachi infiltrated Konoha I've been keeping tabs on the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Zabuza gave me quite some trouble before so I was getting worried about them as opponents. This guy looks like their newest member, Sundei Ikorosu. Sundei is without a doubt the weakest member of the Seven Swordsmen, according to what I've heard he's only a regular jounin instead of an exceptionally powerful one. The only reason he was selected was because he wields an exceptional sword: the metal it was made of can enhance chakra, making it more powerful then if the user would wield it normally. And, unlike any of the other Swordsmen, he is not a skillful close combat fighter: he's a long range ninjutsu user. Close combat is probably his worst fighting range, which is why Naruto can keep up with him."

"Hokage-sama, why aren't we interfering?" Anko asked as she, along with a couple ANBU, arrived and followed the order to hide. "With everyone gathered here, we could easily defeat an opponent like this: he's no match for a gennin, let alone a group of jounin."

"Because I say so." Tsunade answered. With the disapproving look Anko gave the elder blond, the village leader continued. "We have no idea what he's after and I want to find out before he notices us. I trust Naruto will be able to find out that much when he keeps on fighting him. And besides that, I want to see just how strong Naruto is, I've never seen him fight without limitations before."

'And while I'm at it, I'll let the whole village see that he's not the Kyuubi.' She added in her thoughts. A glance at her teacher, who gave her a thumbs-up, and Jiraiya, who nodded, told her they had understood her hidden meaning.

'Just don't get killed out there brat. That would be a bit of a damper.'

XxX

When the water finally stopped crashing into the shield, Naruto was standing nearly four meters away from where he had started. He stopped supplying the shield with chakra and crashed to one knee, panting heavily. His right hand was burning and stinging like mad, having forced so much chakra out. He couldn't form a fist without a stab of pain shooting through his entire arm. Standing on the water, Ikorosu looked at the young ninja with shock.

"I don't believe it…" the Mist ninja muttered. "What the hell ARE you!"

"A Konoha Shinobi." Naruto answered, barely being able to look him in the eyes as he tried to catch his breath. He thought for a second, realizing he needed time to recover, before he spoke again.

"When you told me your name, you said I shouldn't laugh at it, that your aunt hates you and named you… what does your name mean then?" he asked.

"Hehe, trying to find out more about me eh? Fine I'll tell you: my mother and aunt were sisters and they both fell in love with the same man; my father. My father didn't mind the attention that both women gave him, loving them both. But eventually he chose for my mother and she got pregnant with me. But I was not an easy child to bear: my mother died in childbirth. My father was apparently so distracted by the news that he was killed on his next mission, two days after I was born. I was given to my aunt to raise, but she hated me. She thought that I was the reason that the two people she loved, my mother and father, were dead. So she gave me the most spiteful name she could come up with, despite not being all that well educated. She named me-"

In the middle of his sentence, the figure of Ikorosu suddenly fell apart into water. Before Naruto could realize what happened, the earth behind him exploded upward as Ikorosu jumped out of the ground. The sword pierced Naruto's body, exiting through his chest covered in blood.

"I am to Kill."

XxX

"Do we move in now?" Gai asked, seeing Naruto getting spiked on the sword. "If we move now we may still be able to save him from dying, if we wait too long we might lose him."

"Not yet." Shibata said, keeping a close eye on the fight that was going on. "Naruto's tougher then that, he's not dead yet Gai."

"I agree." Kakashi said, using his Sharingan to keep a closer eye on Naruto's chakra pathways. "Naruto suffered far more extensive injuries then this before and he's made it through each of them. He'll last."

Tsunade didn't say anything, but her mind was racing. It didn't seem like Ikorosu had pierced any vitals, otherwise the blood that was flowing from Naruto's wound would be much darker in color and greater in quantity. And with the Kyuubi's healing power, Naruto could easily recover from that injury if given a few seconds rest.

'But what about his arm?' she realized. 'That last defense must have put a serious strain on it, it's not something a normal human being can do.' she signaled one of the ANBU near her, one that she knew was a Hyuuga, to come closer. When he was standing next to the medic, she gave him an order to see how Naruto's right arm was doing.

A second after activating his Byakugan, the Hyuuga closed it and turned his head away in surpise.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama." The ANBU whispered. "I can not look at his arm without being nearly blinded. The amount of chakra in his arm is more extensive and much more intense than I've seen others have in their entire body. I could not see how his Chakra Circulation System was holding out because of the intensity."

"It is strained, but not damaged yet." another, much quieter but stronger, voice suddenly said. Hyuuga Hiashi stood behind the Hokage, along with no less then twenty other Hyuuga. He was looking through the bushes at the fight, thanks to his bloodline, but he was the only one that could look at Naruto without flinching or blinding himself.

"All right then." The Fifth Hokage said. "Everyone stay put. We still don't know what this guy is after."

XxX

Sakura was in near shock at that moment. She had been as awed as any of the others with how Naruto had been performing during the fight, but she couldn't move, act or react after what had just happened. Only one thought flew through her head.

'Not Naruto as well… Sasuke-kun left, I can't lose Naruto as well. He can't… he promised he'd bring Sasuke-kun back… Naruto can't lose! He wouldn't break his promise; it goes against everything he ever says. He just can't! Not Naruto!'

"Naruto-nii-chan!" Konohamaru shouted, fear in his voice. "NO!!"

"Your shield may have protected you, but you couldn't see me through both your chakra and the water, that was your mistake. I'm sorry, but now die!" Ikorosu said as he pulled his weapon back out, a small stream of blood following. He swung it back, intending to cut of Naruto's head in one fell swing, when Sakura suddenly found her voice again.

"NARUTO!"

At the same time, all the children in the class shouted out as well, either in fear or awe, so there were nearly fifty voices shouting different words. Naruto's eyes snapped open at the shouts, but it was already too late: he would never be able to evade the strike, especially in his current condition.

Then the most peculiar thing happened that Sakura had ever seen: a flow of something red, something much darker and more fluid then the blood that was all over Naruto's body now, surrounded Naruto's neck. The sword made contact with the red substance, but it couldn't cut it. Instead, the impact send Naruto flying back as if he were hit with a large bludgeon. Naruto was flying almost perfectly horizontal, just a few centimeters above the lake, when Ikorosu overcame his surprise at the strange defense and chased. Within a second he had closed the gap and was above Naruto. With the red still around his neck, the next strike was aimed at his belly, strong enough to cut him in two even in that thick area. But like before a barrier suddenly sprang out of Naruto's body and prevented the blade from cutting.

Instead, Naruto was send flying deep into the lake, landing with a great splash. The next instant, Ikorosu had landed, standing on the water again, and crouched down. He put the blade of his weapon in the water, the handle only barely above the water-line. Forcing massive amounts of Chakra through the blade, he performed another special jutsu, one that could only be executed when the opponent was underwater.

"Water element." He was done performing the seals in an instant: his hand-speed with seals was almost the same as Zabuza's had been. "Ocean's Requiem."

A powerful shockwave was released from the blade, causing a massive shock throughout the entire lake. The previously calm water splashed violently up on the shores, scaring the children around. A second shockwave was released: the waves became even higher, the water being moved with such force that it almost reached the children even though they were standing several meters away from the lake's edge.

A third shockwave was released, the waves reaching such a massive size that they nearly drowned the class, splashing over them with force. Several dead fish, among other water-animals, now floated in the lake: some of them had landed on the shores after the miniature tsunami had ended.

"That should have finished him off." Ikorosu said, breathing heavily. "And now for the rest." He put one hand in his pocket and pulled something out. A second later he had eaten the Soldier's Pill and could feel his chakra being restored by the medicine. His hands moved through seals once again, grabbing the handle of his sword and swung forward.

"Water element: Water Dragon Blast!"

The water around him raised up, swirled around the sword for a moment before assuming the shape of a dragon's head and blasting forward. Before any of the Kunoichi or the injured Iruka could react, it impacted and exploded on the sand.

XxX

"No!" one of the Hyuuga's who had come with Hiashi, his cousin in fact, shouted. The explosion prevented his cry from being heard by anyone other then the Hyuuga leader standing next to him.

"Hinata-sama! Hanabi-sama! No!"

"Be quiet." Hiashi warned him. "Hold your tongue or you might blow our cover. We will wait until we are given the order to attack."

"But, Hiashi-sama…" he reasoned. "Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama… there's no way they could have survived such an attack!"

"Yeah, they couldn't have. None of the kids present in that group could have." Yamananka Inouchi said, standing on the other side of Hiashi, looking with worry at the scene.

Still, Tsunade held her fist raised, signaling them to do nothing. But, to the surprise of most of the people present, she had a smile on her face, instead of the look of worry that they had expected.

XxX

"What's going on?! That attack hit us didn't it? Why is- why is no-one hurt." Ino wondered as she saw everyone was alive. Surprised, looking in awe at something at the lake behind her, but alive and well. In the second before the impact, Ino had jumped in front of the girl next to her, Moegi, to try and shield her from the impact a bit.

"Why am I not hurt?"

"Ino… look behind you." Sakura's voice sounded very strange, as if the pink-haired girl was looking at something that she couldn't believe.

Turning around, Ino saw one of the last things she had ever expected: a large… thing, for lack of a better term, made of sand was standing on front of her. Small arms were extended to the side, as if to protect everything behind the statue, it wore a wide hat and had a very, very large belly. And right now, it was dripping with water from the attack it had just stopped.

Standing behind the statue, which looked rather like an animal now that Ino thought about it, was a very familiar person. The red, short and spiky hair, the large gourd on his back and the headband were all unmistakable.

"Sand's Ultimate Defense: Shield of Shukaku!"

His voice was still as creepy as ever, but for some reason this time around Ino felt strengthened by it, as if it were inspiring confidence rather than fear: it reminded her of Naruto's voice.

'No way! What's he doing here!?' she thought. But at the same time another thought raced through her. 'He could fight almost evenly with Naruto last time… maybe he can hold of this freakshow long enough… or… or maybe even defeat him!'

"I will not let you pass any further." Gaara said, never moving or showing emotion on his face. He simply stood there, almost impassive, as he spoke. At the same time the redhead was talking the big statue fell apart into sand again, scattering itself along the beach.

"And who the hell are you? The annoying kids with a death wish keep popping up left and right around here." Ikorosu commented.

"I am Gaara of the Desert, a Shinobi of the Hidden Sand." Gaara replied. "I am an ally of Konoha and I'm here to repay a large debt I have standing: a debt I doubt I will ever be able to repay."

* * *

A/N:

A turn for the worst for Naruto in this fight, despite his best efforts and his best fight so far. But can Gaara do what Naruto couldn't? you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out.

As always thanks to my beta's Kushin eX and MirrorsofIllusion for their work on this chapter.

And now for answering question/rants from me:

To Omega the darkness: I plan out my fight scene's quite far ahead and rethink the scene's often enough to see every little detail in my mind's eye. Every single fight so far has been planned since before i even started writing this story.

To avatarjk137: yes i really did plan out Kisame's line. See the answer to Omega's question.

To Edelta88: yeah that's one possible way but this is what Naruto thought off. there are multiple ways to fight after all and Naruto's mind isn't perfectly adjusted to tactical fighting yet. after all, it is impossible to attack without creating an opening.

To Kevin: Naruto said he fought against 4 different bloodlines (Ice Ninjutsu, Byakugan, Bone Pulse/Control and Sharingan in that order) and that most of his opponents were jounin or above. That doesn't mean that everyone with a bloodline he fought is jounin or above (in fact I think that only Haku and Kimimaro were on Jounin level). He simply meant that he fought other opponents (Kabuto, Kisame, Orochimaru) that were Jounin or higher.

And congrats to hiirou-chibi, he is the first (and so far only) person to discover that Shibata is the name of the Third's Seiyu in the anime. That's where I got the name from.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: still own nothing, although I did think of Ikorosu myself.

* * *

"I am Gaara of the Desert, a Shinobi of the Hidden Sand. I am an ally of Konoha and I'm here to repay a large debt I have standing: a debt I doubt I will ever be able to repay."

As he talked, the sand around Gaara started moving around, forming a protective spiral.

"If you can't ever repay it," Ikorosu replied, "it seems kinda pointless to even try wouldn't you agree?"

His breathing, which had been extremely heavy before, was already slowing down. Taking deep, slow breaths he started to recover a bit of his energy. Already, he could feel the Soldier's pill taking effect.

"Perhaps it is." The redheaded boy said his voice as creepy as always. "But according to some people it is not the goal in your life that is important, but the road towards it. And for now, my road will go on."

Without any warning, three pieces of sand shot out of the spiral. The all impacted on Ikorosu's location, but he was already moving to the side.

"Not one for talk are you?" the swordsman said as he formed a seal. A second later a spike of water shot out of the lake, aimed towards Gaara's chest. It was stopped by the Sand Wall easily.

"Why should we? We fight, we do not discuss." Gaara simply said as several more salvos of Sand Shuriken were fired from the spiral. Ikorosu dodged all of them with ease; the distance was just too great for Gaara to connect a direct hit.

"My kinda guy!" the jounin said as more spikes erupted from the lake. The wall stopped all of them with ease.

'Guess this isn't working.' Ikorosu thought as his Aqua Spike failed to hit the redhead for the fifth time. 'That sand is pretty annoying, it's a strong guard. And because the sand keeps moving, it'll take longer for it to get wet and turn into mud. This kid's well known with his strengths and weaknesses. But let's see how he reacts to this.'

"Water Dragon Blast!"

Again the water formed around Ikorosu's blade, forming the head and long body of a dragon as it shot towards the Sand Shinobi.

"Sand Spear!" To counter the massive water attack, Gaara gathered sand in front of him, forming it into a large spear. In less then a second the weapon was formed and shot away, straight towards the dragon. The two attacks collided head on: the water dragon was disrupted by the momentum of the spear head, splitting the attack in two. The spear exited out of the back of the water elemental attack and continued on its way towards Ikorosu.

The almost-bald man didn't even move as he saw the spear coming towards him. As the spear advanced it kept losing speed, before crashing into the water less then five meter from Ikorosu's feet. The water that the spear had absorbed as it passed through the Water Dragon had caused the sand to turn into mud and the extra weight prevented it from reaching the swordsman.

"Not bad." Ikorosu commented as he saw the spear break apart. The mud floated back to Gaara, much slower then normal.

'What is it with these kids being able to disrupt all my best techniques?' he thought with annoyance. 'Let's see, the sand gets a lot slower when it gets wet, I'll have to get him drenched to stop his sand from moving. But that Sand Spear he just used can probably cut through most of my other special attacks, which isn't good.'

As he was thinking of a strategy to face his new adversary, Gaara wasted no time thinking. More Sand Shuriken shot out towards the swordsman, forcing him to think while running. While the older ninja was dodging the sand attack, Gaara began forming three streams of sand, each of which would be moving individually.

'Alright, direct attacks aren't going to do much good here.' Ikorosu decided as he slashed across one of the Sand Shuriken in defense. 'Let's see how he reacts to an indirect attack.'

With a fluid movement Ikorosu returned the Nodachi to his back, dodging another attack at the same time, and began forming seals again.

"Water Element: Hard Rain." Ikorosu muttered. This time he didn't guide the chakra through his blade because it would have been useless. The amount of chakra that this technique required was very small, but it had to come from his body and be released into the atmosphere. Within seconds a slight drizzle started to fall from the sky, quickly turning into a heavy rainfall.

'I see.' Gaara thought as he looked up. The skies were still a light and piercing blue, but the rain was literally appearing from thin air. 'With my ability to disrupt his attacks he cannot negate my sand, so he has used the elements in his favor. An impressive tactic, but it will not be enough to win.'

He uncrossed his arms to take control of the three sand streams he had created, then started to make them rotate as they shot out towards Ikorosu.

'Aah, crap…' Ikorosu thought as he dodged the first stream. 'With these streams it'll take a while before they're so-'

"Aargh!" just as he had dodged the stream's charge, a spike of sand had shot forth out of the stream's body. The attack was so sudden and quick that Ikorosu hadn't been able to fully dodge it: the spike had made a rather large cut on his left arm, causing it to bleed.

"Damn, so you can control the sand that intensively?" Ikorosu asked in surprise. "Even when I'm using the Hard Rain it doesn't slow down at all."

"Of course it wouldn't," Gaara said, guiding more attacks with his arms, "a shinobi should always know his own strengths and weaknesses and know how to cope with them. I am no different."

Raising both his arm at his side to shoulder level, Gaara glared at the swordsman. At the time he had drawn back both his arms all three sandstreams, all three near Ikorosu, raised back a bit as if preparing for a strike.

"And now…" Gaara threateningly said. As he spoke, more spikes, each a different size, length and wide, broke out of each stream. "You will die."

With both of his arms still fully extended Gaara slammed his hands together in front of him, ordering the streams to attack. Like arrows shot from bows, the three streams shot towards their target.

Ikorosu quickly jumped up, avoiding the crash of the three streams. But the Sand's attack didn't stop there: without wasting a moment, the three pillars combined into one, shooting out even stronger then before.

"Wanna try me!" Ikorosu raged as he raised his sword again. "WATER DRAGON BLAST!"

At once a giant water dragon shot from the tip of the blade, aimed head first into the sand stream. Without missing a beat, the stream broke up into three parts again, allowing the water dragon to pass through harmlessly.

A flick of Ikorosu's wrist send the water dragon to attack one of the streams at the bottom, weakening it, but it was already too late: there was no way he could disable the other streams in time.

"Water element: shield orb!"

Spinning around in mid-air, Ikorosu used his chakra to draw the rainwater around him to his body, forming a protective orb around him in less then a second. Just after the orb had been formed, the two streams smashed into it with force, causing two large dents to appear. Just like before, the spikes tried to shoot out and damage Ikorosu, but they had difficulty escaping through the pressure of the water. The delay easily allowed Ikorosu to jump back, landing on the water again, and start using seals again.

"And now that you've used all your sand to attack me…" he said as he swung his sword back. "It's time for you to join Uzumaki in hell! Giant Vortex!" Spinning his sword around again.

"Fool." Gaara simply said as he frowned a bit more. As the vortex cam closer, almost reaching the beach, Sakura shouted out towards the redhead.

"WILL YOU DO SOMETHING ALREADY!"

Without even moving, Gaara quickly raised a large Wall of Sand, using a large portion of the beach he was standing on. As the sand raised itself, everyone watching the fight felt their jaws lower in awe as Gaara, seemingly effortless, easily stopped the vortex.

"Why do you think I am called Gaara of the Desert?" the redhead calmly asked. "I can control all the sand around me, even that which is now lying on this beach. And now that you are so exhausted, what will you do to fight me?"

Ikorosu, struck dumb that his attack had been blocked for a second time, crashed to one knee panting for breath. He didn't answer as he thought over his options.

'Goddammit… I overused my ninjutsu, I'm running really low on chakra. First that annoying Uzumaki who was pushing me too my limits by staying in close range…. And now this menace who disrupts all my best attacks… I'll have to use a power boost then… but in my current condition it'll be dangerous if I go past the first gate. I'll have to use it suddenly and surprise him to finish him off, get the Hyuuga's and escape as quickly as I can. Here I go.'

Ikorosu closed his eyes, still not responding to Gaara's challenge, and focused intensely. Gaara, seeing what he was doing, could only speculate.

'Either he's surrendering or he's preparing himself for something. Never mind, I'll attack before he can do anything. It's the safest course of action.'

Just as Gaara began to focus on his next attack, Ikorosu's concentration deepened. With their focus completely on their own techniques, neither noticed the small shadow that was beginning to appear underwater, slowly making it's way to the beach…

Slowly making it's way towards Gaara.

XxX

"Hokage-sama…" Ibiki said as he stood next to the well endowed blond. "Why are we waiting to attack? With the number of shinobi gathered here it is easy to capture this infiltrator, after which I can easily learn all of the answers you desire from him."

"I know, Ibiki, I know." Tsunade said, not taking her eyes from the fight on the beach. "But there are other reasons as well. The Sand boy was one of them, I wanted to see how deep his allegiance to the alliance was."

"I think that Gaara's already proven that he intends to honor our alliance with his life, Hokage-sama." Shikamaru said, from somewhere above the village leader. "But because we didn't do anything, Naruto was killed. If we had acted sooner, he'd be almost unhurt by now." As the young chuunin spoke, Tsunade could almost hear the tears he was holding back.

'I'm sorry kid, making you think you lost 1 of your comrades so soon after you barely made everyone return alive from their mission…' she thought. 'But there are two good points to be learned from this: he at least cares about Naruto and all these kids are more then willing to do what they have to.'

Right now, the only thing preventing all the youngsters who knew Naruto personally from acting were the three adults of the Nara clan who, by Tsunade's orders, were holding them in place with Shadow Bind.

'It wouldn't do to ruin the surprise now would it?' she thought to herself. 'If Naruto wins this fight without any other help, everyone will have no choice but to accept him as a powerful ninja. And because the children will no doubt look up to him after this, he holds a lot of power of the future of Konoha. Don't disappoint me now kid!'

XxX

At the moment that Gaara had finished his preparations for an attack, Ikorosu's eyes were still shut tight. With the large Wall of Sand still active, Gaara reached out to the still existing streams of sand over the lake. Feeling that they were still intact and, mostly, dry Gaara moved on to the attack.

"Let's go. Sand Rain."

At his command, hundreds of weaker Sand Shuriken shot out from the Wall, at the same time as the three streams moved towards the still unmoving Swordsman as well.

Being much smaller and faster, the Sand Rain's attack reached Ikorosu first. His eyes snapped open just before they reached him however and in a sudden flash, Ikorosu disappeared. The hundreds of Shuriken and the three massive streams all did nothing.

'This movement!' Gaara thought with a shock, as he recognized what was going on. Before he could start searching for Ikorosu, the swordsman had already appeared behind him, ready to strike. As always, the Wall of Sand shot up, protecting the redhead. But the Wall was not prepared for the water spikes that shot forth from his sword, holding open a hole in the defense to let the weapon pass.

Only by narrowly avoiding the attack, jumping back, did Gaara escape damage. The Armor of Sand that was covering his face was cracked and wet, already beginning to turn into mud.

"Your defense is really extensive." Ikorosu mentioned as he rushed back to the water. The spikes that shot up from the sand where he had been standing previously all missed their target. "I was right to think you had another layer of defense with that sand of yours. Lets see how long you can hold out against me eh?"

"No." Gaara said as the mud on his face was replaced with fresh sand. "Let's see if you can get near me again! Sand Rain!"

Again hundreds of small sand shuriken were shot, but they didn't fly in a straight line this time, they were flying in all directions, making it impossible to evade them.

"Not that easy! Water Barrier!" while he was moving, much faster then ever before, Ikorosu put up barriers ever now and then, blocking a minimum amount of Sand Shuriken without being hit. As he was dancing around, moving ever closer to the beach, Gaara resumed his assault with the Sand Streams. The moment he started to move one of them though, he realized something was wrong.

"You're ass is mine!" Ikorosu said as he jumped over the first sand Stream, jumping far enough to avoid the spikes that would shoot out. His eyes were dead set on the redhead on the beach, his next target for killing.

"My thoughts exactly you sword wielding freak!"

Ikorosu, surprised at the sound of the voice, looked down in shock. It was only luck and pure instinct that made him move his head back, narrowly avoiding being killed by Uzumaki Naruto. The kunai he held in his hand, still tinged red with the swordsman's blood, had managed to scrape Ikorosu's forhead. He had, finally, drawn blood from the older enemy while at the same time something else had come off as well.

As Ikorosu landed on his feet, Naruto couldn't even stand on the lake anymore. Seeing this, Gaara quickly gather some of the mud that had been forming in the lake and, with some effort, managed to control it enough to make Naruto stand on it,

"You!" Ikorosu said in shock. "How did you survive three blasts of Ocean's Requim!? It's a technique capable of crushing rocks, your chest should have been pulverized in one shot, its impossible to survive three waves of it!"

"Yeah, judging from the hit I took your probably right." Naruto said with obvious difficulty. "But I never took more then one hit from it. And that one had the damage reduced a lot. I'm sure that you noticed my red chakra by now: it shielded me from your last couple attacks, including that last one."

"What'd you mean with only being hit once?!"

"Exactly that." Naruto said, grasping for breath. "This lake was created by the Second Hokage long ago, to ensure that Konoha will never run dry and forever prosper. But the Second knew how weak this area would be strategically, so he created a system of defense in the lake." Naruto explained, trying to buy time. At the same time, Gaara was considering the options available in the fight.

"He made sure that this entire lake was filled with underwater caves and passages. If needed, almost two hundred ninja could hide in this lake to surprise an enemy. I managed to pull myself into one of those caves, using the Red Chakra, to evade most of your attack."

"I see." Ikorosu said as he stood up. "Good to know, but now you'll die anyway. You look like you can't even lift your arms up anymore. Goodbye Jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto."

Just before the sword could connect though with Naruto's head, sand engulfed Naruto. Gaara had used the Desert Coffin on Naruto and was just now pulling him back to the beach.

The instant that the sand had engulfed Naruto, Ikorosu had disappeared again, moving at top speed. The three sand streams were still busy trying to catch up to him, but Ikorosu was quickly moving towards the beach.

"You stay here and catch your breath." Gaara instructed as he released Naruto behind him. "in your current condition you can't fight, try to recover for now."

"Hey Gaara…" Naruto said, standing up. "Thanks."

"No." Gaara said as he focused on Ikorosu again. "It is I who should thank you."

Without another word, Gaara intensified his assault on Ikorosu, sending more sand flying at him every second. With the intensive assault, Ikorosu had difficulty closing in, instead canceling out the occasional attack with a small water jutsu of his own.

As the two were locked in tie, Naruto was suddenly overcome by curiosity at what Ikorosu had said to him.

Trusting Gaara to ensure their safety, Naruto turned around and slowly approached Sakura.

"Hey, Sakura-chan I've got a question." He said as he stood next to her. "Do you know what 'Jinchuuriki' means?"

Still in shock that Naruto had survived the battle, Sakura could only stare at him. Nervous because of the stare, Naruto quickly tried to continue.

"You see, just now that guy called me a Jinchuuriki and I was wondering what it means so…"

"I-i-it's an old word, Naruto-kun." Hinata stuttered. She was standing next to her sister, holding her broken wrist with her good hand. "It's usually used in the descriptions of ancient rituals, when a person is being sacrificed for some reason. I remember reading about it in some of the texts in my family's library. It translates to: the power of a human sacrifice."

"Yes Hinata, that's exactly right." Iruka said as he turned to look at Naruto. "But these days it's mostly used to name those shinobi with extremely powerful abilities, abilities that exceed even bloodline limits: it's used to refer to those who have monsters of some sort trapped in their body."

"I see." Naruto said, thinking deeply.

"Then he must have been mistaken!" Hinata suddenly burst out. "Naruto-kun is far too kind and caring to have anything to do with a monster of any sort!"

Just as the words left her mouth, Hinata realized what she had just said and turned as red as a tomato. She quickly turned around, unable to keep looking at Naruto out of embarrassment.

"She's right!" Konohamaru said after a second. "Nii-chan is way too awesome for anything bad like that to be possible!"

Before anyone, even Naruto himself, could say anything, all the other children shouted out, each with a different voice and all of them yelling something different making it almost impossible to hear what they were saying through the noise.

It wasn't needed, because their meaning couldn't be plainer.

"Yeah! Naruto-san is really strong, but he's no monster!"

"Monster or not, he protected us, so he's a good guy!"

"And the same goes for that red-headed mister that's fighting now!" a young girl added. Again, the kids each shouted their agreement. Before he even realized what was happening, Naruto felt thick wet tears drop from his eyes. Not wanting to look like a fool in front of all the children, he quickly moved forward, standing next to Gaara.

"Did you hear that?" he asked.

"Yes." Gaara said. Though he never lost his focus, his voice was extraordinarily shaking.

"That means we can't let them down, can we? We'll show them that they're right: we are the good guys. So let's teach Ikorosu a lesson he won't quickly forget shall we?"

"I think that's an excellent idea."

XxX

'God dammed, this is going bad. If I want to close up and deal the finishing blow I need to get up close, before that Uzumaki recovers. No time for toying, it's already a miracle no other reinforcements have arrived. I'll use everything I have to finish them in one go!'

With a quick swipe of his sword, Ikorosu formed another barrier around himself, stopping the Sand Rain long enough for him to focus himself.

'I already opened the first gate just now. Time to go on to the others.'

"Second Gate: Rest Gate: Open!"

The rain he had summoned earlier intensified as Ikorosu's chakra increased in volume. A few seconds later, he murmured again.

"Third Gate: Life Gate: Open!"

XxX

At the same time that Ikorosu crouched down to open more of his inner gates, both Naruto and Gaara looked at each other.

"Think you can use Shukaku's power without losing yourself?" Naruto asked him.

"I'm not sure, I've never tried it before." Gaara admitted, doubt obvious in his voice.

"Then this is a good place to start." Naruto simply said. "Just stay in control and don't give in to him, you'll do fine."

And so both boys closed their eyes and focused on drawing as much of the power they had inside of them as they could.

'I'll have to finish it quickly though,' Naruto thought as he searched for the Kyuubi within his mind. "If I force my body to fight intensively any longer I might do some serious damage again.'

XxX

As Gaara opened his eyes, he was standing in a place he had never been before. He was standing in front of a large sandstorm, which held Shukaku.

"_What's this?!_" the great demon asked. "_That's the first time you've come here yourself! Usually I have to force my way through you!_"

Without answering, Gaara moved towards the sandstorm and crouched down on one knee.

"Please Shukaku, lend me your power." He humbly requested.

"_What for? You gonna __kill__ someone with it?! Lemme do it, lemme do it!_" the demon shouted with glee.

"No, I do not seek to kill with your power." Gaara answered. "From now on I, like Uzumaki Naruto, intend to use my power to protect those that need my protection. And for that purpose I need your powers."

"_Protect? What stupid human bullshit!"_ the demon shouted. "_But you're amusing! I'll see just how far you can get with your new idea! Take it and see if you can survive!"_

XxX

"Fifth Gate: Closed Gate: OPEN!" as Ikorosu stood up again, he was ingluved in more chakra then ever before. The waves around him were forced to part by the sheer mass of chakra radiating from his body. He still didn't open his eyes, nor move his hands. He was still focusing on the last gate he could open, to reach the maximum of his power.

On the beach, Naruto had crouched down, crossing both of his arms in front of him while he summoned the Kyuubi's power. Already his body was beginning to show signs of the transformation: his hair was growing wilder, his nails were longer and small amounts of red chakra were beginning to leek away from him.

Next to him, Gaara was on one knee, just as he was in his mind's world. Suddenly the sand around him began to rise, mingling perfectly with the brown chakra that was beginning to leak from his body. Bits of the sand attached to his hands, forming small claws to indicate his change.

"HIYAAAAAH! SIXTH GATE: JOY GATE: OPEN!"

"AARGH!"

"HNGRR!"

At exactly the same time, all three fighters let out a battle cry as their chakra reached its peak.

Naruto uncrossed his arms so fast they flew to his side as he stood up and roared to the heavens. A gigantic pillar of red chakra erupted from his body, illuminating the skies with Kyuubi's image.

At the same time Gaara stood up, spreading his arms to the side. A pillar of sand, mixed with brown chakra, shot up to form Shukaku's image.

Ikorosu's chakra was the normal blue, because he was only using a human's power, but it was a far more intense sight then either of the two demon's chakra. His body was stronger then either Naruto's or Gaara's, allowing him to use far more chakra at once.

As the gigantic blue pillar erupted from Ikorosu, the image of Kyuubi and Shukaku grew even larger. But the children standing on the beach were, for some odd reason, not afraid of what was going on. They were awestruck at the immense show of chakra, but they didn't fear what they saw. The two great beasts had their backs towards them: they were going to protect them just like the two ninja that housed them.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself." Naruto said, his voice restored to it's normal tones. "I am Uzumaki Naruto, a Konoha Shinobi and the Jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails Demon Fox, Kyuubi."

"And I am Gaara of the Desert." Gaara added. "Sand Shinobi and Jinchuuriki of the One Tail Demon Tanuki, Shukaku."

As the two boys introduced themselves again, Ikorosu's, now pupil less, eyes widened in shock.

"And now," the two demon hosts said in perfect synchronisation, "You Will Fall!"

* * *

A/N: and with that we'll reach the final part of the last fight (before the timejump) next chapter. As always, please tell me what you think.

And as always lots of thanks to Kushin eX, who beta'd this chapter for me.

Q and A time:

SilliMike23: Don't forget that it's only been a few days since the mission to retrieve Sasuke took place. Gaara was still in the village, resting before he would return to Sand. That's why he's around.

To a variety of people: well, tbh I don't pay all that much attention to anything NAruto-related except for the manga and anime, so I don't keep taps on stuff like infobooks and the like. I won't change the name I have for Sarutobi since I have already come to like Shigata. And besides, I doubt the hundreds of fanfics calling him Sarutobi Sasuke will suddenly change his name.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: still don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

* * *

"And now," the two demon hosts said in perfect synchronization, "You Will Fall!"

As soon as they finished speaking, Naruto crouched down and rushed towards Ikorosu. He moved with such speed that he seemed to disappear to the eyes of any of the children or kunoichi watching. Tenten could barely keep up with what was going on because of her training with Lee, but even her trained eyes had problems keeping up.

Within a second, Naruto had run the twenty or so meters between him and Ikorosu, appearing in the air above the swordsman. His left fist came down with enough power to send hundreds of gallons of water shooting upward. The figure of Ikorosu was gone before Naruto's fist came crashing down, and he suddenly appeared behind Naruto. Before he could attack however, a small line of sand had grabbed the end of his sword, preventing his from striking.

Not even watching over his back, Naruto turned around and scratched with his clawed hand at Ikorosu's throat. Instantly the swordsmen fell apart into water, which shot out and wrapped around Naruto to bind him down.

"Water Element: Water Bind." Ikorosu's voice bubbled from somewhere under the water. Before he could surface, several sand darts had shot into the water straight at the bubble's location. The moment Gaara had focused his attention on Ikorosu's location, the swordsman jumped out of the water near the beach, intent on attacking the person who was closest to the water: Hinata. As he saw Ikorosu moving, Naruto sent out a massive burst of the red chakra, remembering how he had deflected Haku's needles so long ago, disrupting the technique that held him in place.

Before his strike could land, Naruto suddenly appeared before the Hyuuga Heiress, catching Ikorosu's sword between his hands. Under the force of the attack, the blond was forced to bend to one knee, making it harder for him to maneuver the blade around. Pushing even harder, Ikorosu sent the tip of his sword into Naruto's chest and then slashed down. The trail of blood that followed was dark and flowing fast, but before Ikorosu had a chance to continue on his attack he was forced to move back to the water as the sand shot up into spikes.

Before Naruto had even fallen down on the sand, the wound was already healed. He quickly stood up, seeing the Gaara was distracting the Mist Ninja with another rain of Sand Shuriken, and turned around.

"Are you all right?" he asked the pale girl. She didn't answer, still too shocked by what she had learned and seen in the past twenty seconds. "Get back to the others and stay there." Satisfied that she didn't seem injured anymore then she had been when he arrived, he turned around to rejoin the fight.

"Don't worry." He suddenly said. "No matter what happens, we won't let him hurt you or any of the others again." with that he suddenly disappeared again.

While Ikorosu was busy dodging the sand shuriken he was quickly closing in, when he was suddenly interrupted by Naruto's renewed attack.

'What does it take to kill this guy? Any more and he'll heal it even when I decapitate him.' he thought with annoyance as he sidestepped yet another punch. With the weight Naruto had put behind the punch, he was off-balance and giving Ikorosu a clear opportunity to attack his side. Just as the hilt of his sword was about to make contact with Naruto's liver, a barrier of sand appeared in front of the blond's body to block the attack.

With the sand suddenly wrapping around the handle of the sword, Ikorosu was temporarily incapable of moving away. Using the chance he had, Naruto quickly punched Ikorosu in the gut with his left. He would have used his right, but it was still hurting too much from the barrier he had used earlier. Even with the small break Gaara had provided, it wasn't fully restored yet. And using so much of the Kyuubi's chakra was not helping; he could feel the strain on his chakra circulation system.

'If I use my right too much Tsunade-baa-chan is gonna be pissed. And who knows what might happen to my arm itself? I think I can pull one big shot off, but I'll have to save it till I have an opening.'

Not giving the jounin any time to recover, Naruto rushed after him. The punch that came flying at him would have probably broken his skull, since he didn't see it coming and Ikorosu was currently strong enough to break rocks with his fists, but again the wall of sand appeared to stop the attack. Naruto increased his assault, knowing he wouldn't have to worry about defending himself with Gaara around.

On the beach, Gaara was watching the fight with great concentration, focusing the sand from his gourd to defend Naruto, while the normal sand on the beach was being prepared as a support for Naruto's offence. It felt strange to him, being able to completely control all the sand from his gourd, instead of having to keep some around him as a protection.

'It's risky; without Shukaku around to control the actual Wall of Sand, I lose an important level of protection. But on the other hand, my control of the sand is greater then ever, I feel more chakra flowing through my body then I can ever remember and the sand I control is much faster. This is not something I should try against a fast opponent when I'm alone.'

Moving his hands, he blocked another strike to Naruto's neck with the sand while simultaneously launching an attack at the swordsman's back. Ikorosu sensed the attack coming and again he disappeared. Naruto did the same, while the sand simply changed directions to where they were going. Naruto's kick was blocked by Ikorosu's sword, causing his calf to bleed rather heavily. It had healed before he placed it down on the water. Again the sand appeared, preventing Ikorosu to counter-attack Naruto.

After the third assault without being able to do anything to counter-act, Ikorosu jumped back, realizing he needed another strategy. As soon as Naruto was released from the tension, he moved back to the beach, standing next to Gaara. As Gaara also released the sand, letting it come back to the beach, he suddenly started wobbling around a bit. Next to him, Naruto crashed to his knee again, breathing hard.

"Are you all right?" the blond asked as he saw Gaara swaying around.

"Yes, my body is not used to this amount of chakra. It is rather overwhelming." The redhead replied.

"I'm used to it by now, this is the fifth time I use this amount of chakra, but it's still too much for my body to handle. I can't go on much longer; we have to finish this fight soon."

"Agreed."

XxX

As Ikorosu was quickly catching his breath, his mind racing, he noticed how the two teenagers had difficulty standing.

'They must be just as exhausted as I am, if not more. And with the amount of chakra they're releasing I'm sure they're bodies are strained as well. I can finish this quickly if I do it right.'

Just as he though that he could feel his left quadriceps muscles tear under the strain. The chakra still in the muscle would allow him to move enough, but his movement would be limited for a long time afterwards.

"Aargh! I can't keep this up much longer either. I have to finish this NOW!" instantly he began forming seal after seal, much faster then before. In half a second, the seals were done and Ikorosu grabbed his sword to channel the attack.

"Water Element: Five Dragon Blast!"

Just as before, five dragons made of water erupted from the tip of his sword, shooting out towards the beach. Without waiting for the attack to hit, Ikorosu prepared his next, and final, ninjutsu.

XxX

"Crap." Naruto thought as he saw the attack coming. "I don't have the chakra left to block that attack a second time."

"There's no need too." Gaara replied, focusing his sand to form five spears. They were all formed in less then a second, courtesy of his improved control over the Sand-controlling chakra, and shot towards their goal. Four spears hit their targets, cutting through the dragons without a problem, dispelling the attack. The fifth head, which was bigger and higher then any of the other four, twisted around and evaded the spear however.

"Damn, he has more control then I thought. I'll handle that one." Naruto said as he jumped up to face the giant water-mass. Boosted with the Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto easily formed a perfect Rasengan with his left hand while jumping and send it straight into the water-attack.

"Rasengan!"

The instant the chakra ball made contact with the water attack it exploded. The tornado that formed shredded the Dragon to bits, but the massive amount of water stopped the blond from advancing any further. Naruto only barely managed to jump back when he heard Ikorosu shout his next attack.

"Water Element: Tsunami!"

From his position in the air, Naruto could see Ikorosu swinging his blade through the water, aimed at the direction of the beach. As soon as his sword left the water a wave erupted across the length of the lake, aimed in their general direction. Within two seconds, the wave was already gigantic. Naruto could only watch in shock as he saw the massive wave approaching.

'I don't have a single technique that can stop that…' he thought in desperation as he landed on the beach. 'Even the Toad Boss isn't big enough to stop that wave. What can I do!'

Seeing the look on his current, and first, partner's face, Gaara quickly spoke up.

"Do not worry." The redhead said as he widened his stance, focusing all his chakra on the sand around him. "I can stop that wave with one of my own, but I won't be able to move while using this technique. The same principle most likely counts for him, since an attack that size would require a constant stream of Chakra. Attack him while I stop his attack, but hurry up. I can feel my body is about to collapse."

Just as he was done speaking, Gaara's hands shot through the seals and, like Ikorosu, he had finished his seals in a second. Focusing all his power, Gaara moved almost all the sand on the beach into an equally large wave.

"Desert Avalanche!"

As the two waves crashed into each other, they came to a crashing stop, neither attack being able to overwhelm the other.

"Go!" Gaara said, not able to say more unless his last attack would fail.

Naruto didn't need to be told twice: jumping forward, his hands started flashing through his most favored series of seals.

XxX

"Can these two fucking annoying brats really counter every fucking attack I do!?" Ikorosu shouted in a frustration he had never felt before. Every single attack he had tried, even with the maximum power he had at six gates, was being countered or stopped by his opponents. He had never before met anyone who was this close to a perfect equal in his fighting.

"I'm a Jounin of the Hidden Mist, I am one of the Seven Swordsman for crying out loud! WHY THE HELL AM I HAVING SO MANY DAMN PROBLEMS WITH TWO FUCKING KIDS!"

Just as his frustration was about to peak, threatening to make him lose control over his Tsunami, he could hear Naruto's voice; if the blond had not been shouting out so loud, it would never have been heard over the loud crashing sounds of the two massive tidal waves.

"Mass Shadow Clones!"

Ikorosu could see the trademark smoke of the technique appearing over the top of the waves, indicating just how many clones had been made.

"Well, let's see how you like this then. I'm in control over all the water that I used in that Tsunami, so come and get Me." the swordsman whispered to himself. The instant any clone or the original would set their foot on the wave, they would be swallowed whole.

"Here we go!" a hundred identical voices called out. Jumping over the top of the waves was an army of Naruto's, but they were different then Ikorosu had expected. Each of the Naruto's was standing on top of a surfboard and each of them was holding a kunai in each hand. Not expecting the surfboards, Ikorosu's attack was too slow to react. Within seconds he had recovered, but instead of trying to swallow the blond into the water, he now shot small spikes out of wave to dispel the clones.

As the spikes quickly started dispelling the mass of clones, Ikorosu noticed that whenever a surfboard was punctured it would also dispel.

'Of course…' He thought. 'He transformed half of his clones into surfboards to allow fast maneuvering on the water. He's made twice as many clones as he wanted me to believe. How much chakra does he have?'

As the clones came closer and closer, more of them were continuously dispelled. Some of them ninja clones threw their kunai before being dispelled, but they either missed their target or they were absorbed by a small wave that acted as Ikorosu's new defense. Finally, there was only one Naruto left. Ikorosu focused all his spikes on that one, going for the kill. But Naruto was moving much fast enough to evade most of the spikes; Ikorosu only managed to hit the blond when he was only half a meter away.

With a triumphant smirk on his face, Ikorosu saw how the boy who had been menacing him for the past few minutes, was pierced by no less than four spikes. His grin faded the moment that the boy fell apart into smoke.

"What!" Ikorosu shouted in surprise. "Where is h-"

"Fox Fist! The familiar voice shouted from beneath him. Looking down, Ikorosu was barely in time to see the surfboard the last Naruto had rode transform back into the real Naruto, his right hand engulfed in the red chakra that looked like a fox's head.

In a reflexive movement, Ikorosu released the Tsunami technique, quickly crossing his arms in front of his chin. He was only barely in time to block the fist, but he had forgotten the explosion that followed after the punch. Both ninja were send flying towards the beach, only managing to reach it because Gaara had collapsed the moment the pressure had been released from the Desert Avalanche, resulting in the collapse of the attack.

Naruto collapsed, mere meters away from the rest of the class. He could feel pains shooting through his right arm again, and could feel the skin tearing: the red chakra was beginning to leak out of it, forcing blood out with it. The pain was so intense that he couldn't move, let alone stand up, for a while.

Ikorosu had landed in between his two enemies, but unlike the other two he was conscious enough to give himself a quick one-over.

'Feels like I broke my left arm from blocking that punch. My brain feels shaky too and I can feel all the burns and cuts all over my body. That explosion was pretty damn dangerous.'

He could feel a strange sensation in his right hand as well. Looking at it, he saw that the handle and guard of his sword had been blown to pieces as well, making him now hold shards of the basis of his sword, along with some small pieces of the hilt.

'Damn. He ruined my sword.' The jounin thought, carefully rolling around. The instant he rolled over he realized it was a mistake; the injury on his belly was more severe then he had thought, and the pressure it put on his quadriceps was almost enough to make him shout out.

'I think I ruptured just about all the muscle's in both my legs.' He realized with a shock. 'But… I have to do this…' using all the willpower he could manage, Ikorosu grabbed the basis of his sword with his hand, cutting into his palm with the edge, and used it as a cane to force himself into a standing position. 'If I succeed, maybe they'll accept me back into the village…'

He carefully took a step forward, almost crashing back into the sand but he managed to stop himself in the last second. 'I can't fail now.' he thought. 'I have to keep going, I'm almost there!'

With each step he got closer to the two Hyuuga girls who where standing together. Hanabi had been supporting her sister before they had become stunned by what they were seeing. Now both were frozen, staring at the swordsman as he edged ever closer.

"Here I GO!" with one final burst of power, Ikorosu suddenly managed to dash forward with surprising speed, covering the last twenty or so meters before any of the kunoichi could react. Tenten and Ino turned around, jumping towards Hinata to try and protect the hurt girl, but they were too late. Blood was already flying through the sky…

XxX

"Ok, that confirms it, he really is after the two Hyuuga girls. Everyone, go!" Tsunade ordered.

"Actually Hokage-sama," Kakashi began, "I think your order was a little too late. They're gone already."

Seeing what the infamous Copy Ninja meant, Tsunade smiled with satisfaction as she joined the rest of the ninja to rush and join the fight.

XxX

Hanabi had, if she would allow herself to be completely honest, been very scared for the past twelve minutes, ever since that sword-wielding man arrived and started hurting people. But now, she felt something else… it was very strange. She was sure that she would have been killed by this man a second ago when he suddenly ran at her, but just before he had been able to connect something else happened.

A combination of black and red had moved in front of her field of vision: Naruto had jumped in front of the two Hyuuga's at the last second, shielding them with his body. His back had been turned to them to allow him to grasp the sword in his hands and prevent it from piercing his body completely. Ikorosu pulled his sword out, ready for a second strike. Naruto, completely exhausted, fell to his knees again, but this time the wound wasn't healing on it's own. In the second he had before Ikorosu would finish his strike and lop Naruto's head off, the blond turned around to look at the two Hyuuga's.

Even though Hanabi had not yet learned how to read lips fully, there was no mistake in the words that Naruto tried to say: "Are you two all right?"

Hanabi didn't dare look at the scene as the blade came closer to the Leaf Gennin's neck. She closed her eyes, fearful of what would happen.

But no sound of blood, pain or gore came. Opening her eyes a bit, the young Hyuuga could see that Ikorosu's blade, which was still cutting into the Jounin's own hand, had been stopped mere millimeters from Naruto's neck.

"You will go no further in harming our friends." a quite voice suddenly said. Looking up, Hanabi could see several boys running down towards the fight. A line of bugs was emitting from one of them, one of Hinata's teammates if she remembered correctly.

"Shino-kun!" Hanabi was proven right when Hinata said the name of the coat-wearing boy with relief.

"He is correct. We will not let you endanger the youthful spirit of these brave fighters anymore! Leaf Upper Kick!" almost invisible, appearing in a green blur, Rock Lee moved in with a vertical spinning kick, removing the sword from Ikorosu's hand, effectively disarming him.

"Lee!" Tenten cried out, overjoyed that her hyperactive teammate had joined the fight as well.

"Piercing Fang!" a horizontal gray-colored tornado suddenly cut into Ikorosu's side, causing heavy bleedings. Ikorosu, still in surprise, tried to elbow the tornado away, but found that he suddenly couldn't move.

"You're not going anywhere! Shadow Neck Bind." Shikamaru said with an almost uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata cried, while Ino yelled out that Shikamaru had shown up.

"Partial Expansion Technique: Both Arms." With the swordsman completely paralyzed, he couldn't do anything as Chouji's massively increased arms crashed down on him in a heavy hammer strike.

"And now, this is truly the end!" Neji said as he rushed in when Chouji's hands returned to their normal size. "Jyuuken!" with a single strike to the chest, Neji finished Ikorosu off, temporarily paralyzing him.

All that had happened in the time span of a few seconds, but Naruto had not been able to keep track of what was going on anymore. He was shifting in and out of conciousness, not even noticing when he fell straight into Lee.

The green-clad fighter caught the exhausted blond, saw the look that was in his clouded eyes and reassured him.

"Don't worry anymore Naruto-kun." He said. "Everyone is here, nothing will happen to anyone anymore."

"That's good to hear." The blond replied, passing out the moment he was done talking.

He didn't notice the large amount on ninja, almost half of the Konoha Shinobi that remained after the One Day War that suddenly appeared. Nor did he see the proud smile that Tsunade, Kakashi, Jiraiya and Sarutobi were giving him.

He had ensured that everyone he had been fighting to protect was safe, and now that he was sure of it he finally submitted to the exhaustion of his body.

XxX

As Naruto slowly began opening one eye, he saw nothing but white. Opening the other eye as well, Naruto began to realize he was staring at the white ceiling of one of the hospital rooms.

'wha?' he thought, 'how did I get here? what happened?' Closing his eyes again, Naruto tried to recall what had happened. A second later his eyes shot open as Naruto tried to raise himself.

"The others!" He shouted, "Where ar-"

"They're all safe." A quite voice to his side suddenly said. Looking in the direction of the voice, Naruto saw that Gaara was lying in the bed next to his. And behind him the floor was filled with all sorts of flowers, plants and cards. Seeing the questioning look on Naruto's face, Gaara spoke up.

"These are all gifts from the people of this village, mostly the children from that class. You have your share as well."

Looking around him, Naruto saw that almost the entire room was filled with all sorts of stuff. Flowers, plants, thank you cards and much more.

"Wha…" for a second, the blond didn't know how to react, overwhelmed. That's when Gaara spoke up again.

"You have been knocked out for almost five days. I myself only woke up a few hours ago and heard it from that pink-haired girl. She said that they had to remove a lot of the gifts because they wouldn't fit in the room. It seems that the people of this village are very grateful to you."

"Not just to me." Naruto said with a teary smile. "Looks to me like they've thanked you too. And even if they didn't; thanks Gaara. If you hadn't shown up when you did I was sure things wouldn't have ended well."

"You're welcome." The redhead replied, looking a bit uncomfortable. "This is the first time that I've been treated like this, it's… very strange. But somehow it's also very comforting."

"I know. That feeling, it's why I can fight as much as I do." Naruto explained.

"Yes, I realized that when he fought together." Gaara said, surprising Naruto. "When you and I were enemies, I was surprised by how you managed to hold on, as if you were being pushed forward by something I could not see that prevented you from stopping. But when you fought alongside each other, when we were trying to save that class, I think I felt something of what you feel; I felt that I could not stop, because if I did something terrible would happen. Because of that I fought very different from normal, but… it felt much better to be fighting then it ever did before. I felt like I actually had a purpose now. Thank you."

Realizing what Gaara meant, Naruto didn't say anything else for the next few moments. But after a few minutes, there was one question that he wanted to ask.

"Hey Gaara, can I ask you something?" Naruto said. When the Sand Ninja nodded, Naruto continued. "Why where you still around in the village? Don't misunderstand, I'm really grateful you where there, but how come?"

"My sister, brother and I had been asked to support your team in the mission to save Uchiha Sasuke. Afterwards we had stayed in the village for a few days before returning to our own village. I was walking through the village when I saw the signs of the fight."

"I see." Naruto replied, not sure what else to say. Closing his eyes again, Naruto moved back down, lying back on the bed again. He was surprised a few minutes later, just before he would fall asleep again, when someone knocked on the door. A moment later Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shibata and a fourth woman walked into the room, carefully moving around to prevent hurting any of the gifts.

The unknown woman looked like she was somewhere in her early thirties, with her hair shaped like spikes of varying colors and sizes. Her entire attire was hidden behind the large white and grey cloak. It took Naruto a minute to realize what that meant. Before he could realize it, Tsunade introduced the woman.

"Naruto and Gaara, the Mizukage would like to have a talk with you two concerning your fight with Shundei Ikorosu."

* * *

A/N: and so the fight ends at long last. Checking back, I realized that I wrote another massive battle scene, even after scrapping a part of the fight I had in mind at first. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter; we're nearing the time jump and, with it, fully leaving Canon.

Many thanks to my good friend and beta Kushin eX for his help with this chapter and, as always, please review and tell me what you think of the chapter.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: still own nothing, and there's nothing to get if you sue me, so don't even try.

* * *

"Naruto and Gaara, the Mizukage would like to have a talk with you two concerning your fight with Shundei Ikorosu."

The instant Tsunade had said it, Naruto had realized who the woman with the spiked hair was.

"T-The Mizukage?" he stumbled. She looked so… different from the either of the two Hokage's he had ever seen. Both the Old Man and Tsunade-baa-chan had a certain air of certainty and respect about them, but this woman, who couldn't be much older then thirty, gave off an air of unpredictability and wildness. Somehow it reminded him of that scary snake-woman from the Chuunin Exams.

"I'm Takami Sessha, the fifth Mizukage of the Hidden Village of the Mist." She formally introduced herself. "I've come to understand that you were the ones who fought against the missing-nin Shundei Ikorosu, a member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, correct?"

"Yes, we fought him, but we weren't the only ones." Naruto started.

"Save it, I've already heard the story." The Sessha interrupted. "Fact is you two, a couple of eleven year old Gennin, have managed to fight on equal grounds against what should have been one of the strongest ninja from the Hidden Mist. This adds even more to the fact that I chose very wrong in electing him."

"What'd you mean, you chose wrong in electing him?" Naruto questioned. "And to be honest, that guy was pretty strong: we couldn't defeat him on our own."

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that other countries will hear rumors that a member of the Seven couldn't kill two children. That'll do us more harm then anything else. Inability to kill two children when fighting them, no matter how many demons they have or how strong their bloodline limit, will be looked down upon in this world. I was the one who elected Ikorosu for being the next to join the Seven and it's a choice I now deeply regret."

"If you're so disappointed, why'd you elect him in the first place!" Naruto almost shouted out in frustration. The things that the Mizukage was saying to him were more then a little infuriating. Ikorosu, who had nearly killed him, Gaara, Iruka-sensei, Hinata, Sakura and the others, was WEAK!? Ikorosu, who had pushed Naruto further past his limits then anyone had done before? Sure, against Sasuke he had transformed to another stage then he did against Ikorosu, but he found that his basic transformation, with the claws but without the red Chakra covering him, was a more effective form for combat.

"What's the matter brat?" Sessha asked with amusement. "You think that just because you had a hard time fighting him he was strong? That he shouldn't be insulted after the way he fought?" As she gave the suggestion, there was heavy sarcasm in her voice. "Grow up!" she suddenly barked. "If you think you can use yourself as a measure stick to determine weather someone's strong or not, then you'll be dead before the end of the month. You are still just a brat, a Gennin. No matter how many demons you may have inside of you, no matter how much you may have the home field advantage, there is no way that a jounin should even have trouble with you, least of all a member of the Seven. In this world, reputation is everything. The stronger you are, the more people will know about you. The more success you have, the more famous you will become. But the opposite is also true: fail and you will be known as a failure. Ikorosu was a failure and he will remain one until he dies next week."

"What the hell does reputation matter!" Naruto shouted. "Like I care about what people think about me! I'll show them wrong if they badmouth me!"

"Hmm…" the Mizukage looked at Naruto for a second, amusement on her face and a surprised look on her face. Then her face broke out into a grin as she spoke up again. "Hey kid, you've got spirit, I'll give you that. I like that. But…" in an instant her face darkened. The cape she wore shifted a little, Naruto could see a strange disruption of the light in the room and nothing more. Jiraiya, Tsunade and Sarutobi all tensed up, but they didn't move.

Without warning, Naruto's clothes and blanket suddenly fell apart into ribbons.

"If you act so disrespectfully to a superior ninja again, you might not live to see their reaction." Sessha concluded. At the surprised look on Naruto's face, she opened her cape a little. Underneath the cape was a black bodysuit with small armored sections on it. Attached at various locations were swords, most of which Naruto had never seen before. Two of the six swords she had with her were now in her hands. In her left hand was sword with a very wide curve, while in her right she held Katar.

"You seem surprised by what I did." The Mizukage said with a laugh. "Don't worry, I didn't injure you, it was only a demonstration of what could happen when you anger a powerful shinobi. You didn't like the effect of my Shamshir and Katar? But to continue on my point: even in this world, where stealth and secrecy are everything, anyone with power is well known. The Seven are people who are always supposed to be powerful, therefore their reputation is strong and they are feared and respected everywhere. The same holds true for the strongest ninjas of every village."

Naruto was still too embarrassed by his nakedness to reply like he normally would have. After a few seconds of stammering, all he could manage was a weak "How did you do that?"

At that the Mizukage let out another laugh.

"Ooh that's easy kid. I'm the Mizukage and, along with that position, I'm also the first of the Seven Swordsmen: the strongest of them all. But unlike the others, I don't specialize in using one large and powerful sword: instead I use all type of swords, from every era and nation, and fight with speed. Each type of sword is different, and all of them are wonderful." She added with a nod to herself. "I love swords, each and every form of them. I'm a collector as well as a fighter you know."

"Great, so you're a sword-freak…" Naruto muttered under his breath.

"What was that? Care to repeat it?" Sessha threatened. Slowly raising her Shamshir again. Naruto gulped and moved back a bit. Remembering that he was fully undressed, his hands shot down to protect his modesty.

"I didn't say anything!" the blond squeaked. "But why did you chose Ikorosu if you thought he was so weak?" Naruto asked again.

"He was one of the best fits to the description we have for the Seven: A jounin, age above 16 but below 30, proficient in use of the sword, preferably a sword with some sort of special ability. Ikorosu matched them all."

"The swords of the Seven Swordsmen have special abilities?" Naruto asked in surprise. He knew that Kisame had the ability to drain chakra from his victim, but he didn't know any other abilities.

"Yeah, none of the swords I use have a special ability, but they don't need one. most of the Seven actually have a special sword though. I think that Zabuza and I were the only exceptions in the past forty or so years. And in case you didn't notice: Ikorosu's sword, Shokubaisayou, had the power to increase the potency of Chakra, thereby strengthening his Ninjutsu. Anything else?"

"Yeah, there's one more thing." Naruto asked, intrigued by the information. "How did Ikorosu become a missing-nin and why did he attack us?" he quickly added, realizing he never really knew the reason for Ikorosu's attack.

"Those are two questions you're asking." The Mizukage replied with an amused laugh. "I can answer the first one with certainty, the second one is what I suspect is going on, based on what I've heard. Ikorosu was exiled from the village for failing too many missions; after he was promote to one of the Seven two weeks after Zabuza died, he never completed another mission with success. His failures were hurting the name of the village and the Seven, but I couldn't recall the title. The only way to prevent him from further ruining our name was to kill him. Unfortunately, he fled just before he was to be killed. That was about a month ago."

"Wha…" Naruto's mouth was wide open in surprise. You would execute him just because he failed some missions? Why?"

"Didn't I tell you kid; reputation is important in this world. With a good reputation everyone respects you and you get good missions and prices. He was ruining our reputation, which would ruin our village. But, from what I learned so far, it seems that after he was sentenced to death, Ikorosu tried to find a way to be allowed back into the village. It looks like he came to Konoha to capture the Hyuuga heir so he could bring the Byakugan to the village and hope that would be enough to get him accepted back."

"Would it have?" Naruto asked.

"No he would still be killed and his title passed on to someone else. But if he had returned with a price like that, maybe we would have him assassinated instead of executed. Then at least people would think he was someone worth killing and he would have died a Shinobi's death. Now, when we get back to the village, he'll be executed all the same. Maybe even more for almost sparking a war with Konoha."

With that thought, the Mizukage turned around and, along with the other three that had come in with her, left the room again. As soon as she was gone, Naruto crashed back to his bed.

"So he was exiled even while he remained loyal to his village…" Naruto remarked, thinking out loud to the ceiling. "That's really different from what I thought. I thought that missing nin's were always traitors to their village…"

"They are." Gaara spoke up for the first time. "But sometimes it is the village that betrays them, not the other way around. The Mizukage had a point, saying that reputations are important."

"Maybe…"

XxX

As the Mizukage, her escort and the prisoner disappeared from the sight of the Hokage Tower, Tsunade turned around to face her teacher again.

"What'd you think Sensei?" She asked. "It is possible, but it all seems a little too coincidental. We already know that Ikorosu was a member of the Seven that did not succeed in his missions, but he must have known that as well. What could he have thought, trying to attack Konoha directly?"

"We may never know for sure, but as Inoichi said, there was no memory anywhere of him receiving orders to attack Konoha or abduct a member of the Hyuuga Main Family. And Ikorosu was exiled a month ago. So the story checks out."

"Yes I know." the Slug Sannin said with a sigh. "But I just can't shake the thought that perhaps this was all set up by her in some way. If Ikorosu had succeeded then she would have the Byakugan at her position, something that all villages would like, and if he failed then he would be executed for treachery he never really committed. No matter how I look at it, it was a win-win situation for the Mist."

"Yes it was." Shibata agreed. "But there is no way to prove that she had actually intended anything like this, or whether it really was all Ikorosu's own doing. But unless you manage to find a way to prove one way or another, you cannot act. The Mist is already suffering from this loss, even if Sessha hides it. Konoha has defeated two members of the Seven within a year. One of which couldn't even defeat a group of children. This will reflect poorly upon their village and we will prosper because of that. Have you any idea how much people will pay for the team who defeated a Shinobi Elite." the former Hokage concluded.

"There's also one other thing to take into account." Jiraiya said as he entered from the window. "She said she 'liked' Naruto. We could possibly use this opportunity to create an alliance with the Mist and strengthen our position internationally. But we have to be careful as well, she could just as well mean that she would have him assassinated before he becomes much stronger."

"Yes, that is a good point." Shibata agreed, rubbing his beard thoughtfully.

"Do you EVER enter via a door?" Tsunade asked. When Jiraiya had entered, he landed right on top of her desk, spilling her sake all over it.

Seeing what he had done, the Toad Sage quickly jumped off the table, out of the reach of his teammate, and apologized.

"Sometimes I do, but I like the window better." Jiraiya replied. "But I think it's about time that I take up on my promise to Naruto."

"What promise?"

"Just after he woke up, I went to talk with him for a bit. In the end, I promised to train him for a while."

"What!?" the slug Sannin shouted. "Why didn't you tell me something like that!? I need to know stuff like that earlier."

"I was going to but I didn't have any time Slugger. When I was about to tell you we saw that tornado of flames that Iruka had called up to alert us. After that it sort of slipped my mind."

"Fine. And don't call me Slugger, I am now the Fifth Hokage, so drop it with the nicknames." Tsunade ordered, before quickly adding, "Toady."

"And why do you get to use MY old nickname?" the Toad Sage asked, amusement on his face.

"Leader's privilege." Tsunade simply stated. "But to return to the matter at hand, how long would Naruto's training be? And why would now be a good time for him to leave?"

"I'm thinking of taking him with me for two-and-a-half to three years for intense training." Jiraiya answered. "And I think he has to stay out of sight for a while, because lately he's build up a very strong reputation. Not only has he fought and defeated Gaara with a great display of strength, he's also saved Sensei's life, fought against Orochimaru multiple times along with Four other S-rank missing-nin, three of which are members of the Seven Swordsman. And that's just to name a few. His name is already becoming well known with other villages and at this rate he'll quickly be the target of an assassination or something similar. And especially after those two fights he had in Konoha, people will begin to see him as a symbol of strength. He has to be able to live up to that expectation if he intends to survive."

"All good reasons." Shibata concluded after a minute.

"Yeah, they are." Tsunade agreed. "But I have one question: how are you going to train him? Do you intend to use the Shadow Clones to train him so he can match Sasuke?"

"No I'm not." Jiraiya replied. "It'll be dangerous to his psych if he overstrains it too much and using the Shadow Clones as training is exactly that: a much quicker then normal acquiring of experience and it can take a heavy toll on his mind. Unless he discovers it himself, I don't plan on telling him about that training method until he's sixteen. By that time his mind should have stabilized enough to allow such training without too much risk. I plan to train him by pushing him past his physical edges, relying on the Kyuubi's regenerative capability to increase his recovery speed. With the amount of training he can take thanks to that fox, Naruto should be able to grow much faster then a normal student. It'll compensate for his lack of natural talent."

"Good to hear you've at least thought about it." Tsunade said when it was obvious that Jiraiya was done. "But keep an eye open that Naruto doesn't accidently discover the effect of Shadow Clones anyway. When do you leave?"

"If possible, tonight."

Tsunade didn't reply for a few moments, instead thinking over her options and possible outcomes. After almost a minute of thinking, she finally gave her orders.

"Very well." She said. "Jiraiya, take Naruto with you for the time period you indicated and train him well. Give me an update every three months by messenger toad or bird to let me know how you're doing. You don't need to mention where you are or where you're going, but keep my up to date on his growth. That's all."

"Thanks." Jiraiya said and then he jumped to the window. Just before exiting, he turned around and looked at his teammate and teacher one more time. "Don't worry, I'll bring him back stronger then ever." He said and then turned away from them. "See you in three years!" With that Jiraiya jumped out of the window and disappeared from the sight of both Hokage's.

Just as Tsunade slumped down in her seat, the door opened and Shizune poked her head in.

"Tsunade-sama, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino are ready for their meeting with you."

XxX

Jiraiya entered the hospital room where Naruto and Gaara were staying just after the sun had gone down. Naruto, who was wearing a new shirt that was provided by the hospital, quickly sat up to greet his teacher.

"Hey brat, get ready to go." Jiraiya said with a grin. "We're leaving as soon as we can, preferably tonight. You're going to be my full time apprentice for three years."

"For real!?" Naruto shouted with excitement. "Woo-hoo! Let's go!" within a second he had jumped out of his bed, grabbed the remains of his clothes and moved to the window. Just before he jumped out of it, he turned around and looked at Gaara.

"Hey Gaara, I'll see you later." He said. "And thanks again!"

The redhead was still too surprised by what was going on but he quickly managed a small wave and said. "You're welcome. And yes, I do hope we'll see each other again. Until the next time, Uzumaki Naruto."

With that, Naruto jumped out of the window after his teacher. They were headed to his house to pick up his stuff for the trip.

A half minute after Naruto had jumped out of the window, the door burst open and Sakura and Ino burst into the room. When they saw that Naruto was already gone, they quickly turned to Gaara.

"Where's Naruto?" Ino asked, breathing heavily.

"He just left." Gaara said, pointing at the window. The two girls turned to each other, both in thought.

"Naruto probably went to his house first to get his stuff, we'll have some time before he leaves through the main gate. It's the only gate that remains open after dark." Sakura said.

"Let's go, if we hurry we might be able to get the others as well." Ino said. "I'll go get Hinata, Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba, they all live pretty close to each other. You get Tenten, Lee and Shino."

"Right." The pink-haired girl said.

Gaara, surprised by what was going on, suddenly spoke up, "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"What else?" Ino said, "We're going to say goodbye to Naruto. He already escaped last time when he was missing for three months, if he's staying away for three years, we're at least going to say goodbye to him." The blond turned around to leave, then stopped and was lost in her thoughts for a second.

"Do you want to come as well?" she asked the sand user.

Gaara thought it over for a few seconds, considering that he had already said his goodbye, but decided that he would try being a friend a bit longer. He liked the feeling.

"Yes, I would like that very much." He said as he stood up from his bed.

XxX

It was nearly two hours later that Jiraiya and Naruto were about to leave the village. He turned around, taking a good look at the village one last time, before turning around to the Hokage Mountain.

'Just you watch.' He thought, looking at the four faces carved into the rock, 'I'll come back stronger then ever. I won't let any of my friends be hurt again, I'll protect them all.'

His new oath silently sworn, Naruto turned to leave the gate. Before he was able to move more then two steps, Jiraiya placed a hand on his shoulder and suddenly said,

"I think you might want to turn around and wait a little longer."

Surprised Naruto turned around to see what was going on. Suddenly a large group of people appeared on the rooftops around him. He could easily recognize all his old classmates, along with Lee and his team, all standing on the roofs waving at him. Among the others that had shown up were Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, Gai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei and someone that he assumed to be Hinata's father because of his white eyes and empty forehead.

"You didn't think we'd let you slip away a second time, did you?" Kiba shouted, jumping down to meet him on the ground. All the others quickly followed.

"Yes Naruto." Shino added. "You could have at least come to say goodbye before leaving."

"Good luck with your training!" Ino shouted. "When you return, Sakura and I'll beat you up good! We're going to get special training as well."

At the surprised look on Naruto's face, Sakura quickly supplied more information. "Ino and I have been accepted as the apprentices of the Fifth. We'll be able to help out a lot more then we did before, you can count on it."

"Yeah, this is going to be good…" Shikamaru sarcastically said. "Ino's going to become a lot stronger, she'll be an even bigger bother to hang around with." Before Ino could turn to shout at the lazy bum, he addressed Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, good luck with your training." He simply said. "Don't cause too much trouble."

"Sheesh, what are you, his mom?" Ino said, before quickly going on to verbally berate the shadow-user. Temari paid close attention to the scene, while almost all Konoha ninja turned to Naruto again.

Lee, tears streaming down his cheeks, gave Naruto a thumbs up, complete with sparkle of the teeth. Gai joined in and, in perfect synchronization, the two spoke up.

"Goodbye Naruto-kun, may the fire of your youth burn fiercely and guide you on the path to becoming stronger!"

"Ok, that's enough!" Tenten said as she began pushing the two away. "You're going to give the guy a traumatic history if you keep that sparkle up. And don't even_try_ that genjutsu where you have the waterfall appear behind you sensei!" she warned. She gave a quick wave to Naruto as she pushed the two Green Beasts away.

"At least they left an impression." Chouji said with a laugh. "Here, take this: it's a snack for on the way." Chouji said as he handed Naruto a bag of chips. "When you get back, we have to go to Ichiraku together."

Kakashi, who had taken out his book, approached Naruto and crouched down low. "Hey Naruto," he whispered into the blonds' ear, "Since you'll be traveling with Jiraiya-sama, do you think you can arrange that I get all the new books he writes send to me?"

Before Naruto could answer, he stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck with your training. When you return, we'll both be stronger then ever."

"Uhm, Naruto-kun…" Hinata softly said as she approached him. "Here, you may need this again." she held out another small jar of ointment, the same one she had given to him at the Chuunin exams. "I-I know you heal very fast, but this may still help you a little. Good luck!" before Naruto had any chance to thank Hinata, she stepped back, allowing her father to step forward.

"Uzumaki Naruto, it is a pleasure to finally meet." He said. "I am Hyuuga Hiashi, the Head of the Hyuuga Clan. We, the Hyuuga, owe a great debt to you. You have saved the heir of our clan not once, but twice now. You have fought three times to save members of the Hyuuga and we do not forget a debt owed." As he spoke, his eyes flashed to Neji for a second and quickly returned to Naruto.

"When you return, you will always be welcome at the Hyuuga estate. If you have any request, ask it and we shall grant it to the extent of our power. May your trainings proceed swiftly." With a small bow of his head, Hiashi excused himself and turned away. Hanabi, who had been standing behind him, gave a quick nod, her head almost as red as Hinata's. Just as his uncle, Neji gave Naruto a small bow. He quickly said, "Good luck" and then turned to leave as well.

Asuma and Kurenai, who were standing very close together, gave him a wave and a smile as well. Iruka quickly hugged Naruto, and then looked him in the eyes.

"Do well in your training." He said. "And thank you for coming to save me. I never felt more proud of a student then when you arrived back then."

As he stood up, Gaara walked forward. He didn't say a thing, but he extended his hand instead. Still a little stunned by the turn of events, he was a little slow in grabbing Gaara's hand. Looking over the redhead's shoulder, he saw Kankuro give a small salute with two fingers, while Temari grinned at him and raised thumb as a greeting.

When Gaara let go, Naruto quickly lowered his head.

"E-everyone…" he started, uncharacteristically stuttering, "Thank you!" without showing them his face again, he turned around and started walking. Jiraiya quickly moved after him, catching up within a few paces. He could clearly see the tears that were flowing down his pupil's cheeks, along with the large smile he was wearing.

"What're you thinking about kid?" he asked.

Without turning around or slowing down, Naruto answered.

"I'm going to miss them."

* * *

A/N:

And so we have finished this part of the story. Starting next chapter, we will be post-time jump and I'll leave canon behind. As always, please tell me what you thought of this chapter.

Much thanks to Kushin-eX for beta-reading and discussing this chapter with me.

I think that all the questions for the reviews (mostly about what the Mizukage was going to do) are answered by this chapter. The only other thing that a lot of people said is that Naruto should be promoted to Chuunin for his actions. Like I said before, I don't think being promoted is that easy so he will remain a genin in this story. But before everyone starts flaming me, let me also say that I had intended for Naruto to be a genin all along, it is part of the storyline. Once we get a few chapters post-timeskip you will all find out why…

There is also one thing I would like to ask all of you, based on several reviews I've received. I know (or at least I think that) there are many people who have NOT read the manga up until the latest chapters, and are only following Naruto by watching the anime. For that reason I would like to ask everyone to mark for spoilers when they're reviewing, so people who do not read the manga can skip over information that is important to the plot of the series without too much trouble. I know that I like to see the reviews before reading a story and I doubt I'm the only one.

As always, please review and thanks in advance for it. happy Christmas to everyone and see you in the new year.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: still own nothing, especially not a big branch like Naruto.

And just so you all know: this chapter is an interlude in the three year time-jump between chapters and all the different, small scenes are set at different times. Enjoy this show of what everyone's doing in the three years no-one sees them.

* * *

"How much longer do you want me to study these things from books!? They're BORING!" Naruto loudly complained. After he and Jiraiya had left the village, about three months ago, they had traveled to various countries. Right now they were staying the Country of Hurricanes. For the past week, Naruto had been forced to study from books, which was odd as he was used to scrolls more then books, and study what he thought was one of the most boring subjects ever: history.

"Until you get it down right and this storm subsides." His teacher answered. Jiraiya was busy reading some scrolls himself, while he was making notes on a notepad. Naruto looked outside, but the heavy winds that were blowing would prevent him from doing any real training. Defeated, he turned back to his book and continued reading how the Country of Fire had almost been defeated by the Country of Stone about a hundred and twenty years ago.

While he sat at his small desk, Jiraiya couldn't stop a smile from creeping up his face.

'It always works.' He thought, pleased, as he saw Naruto continue his studying again.

XxX

Ino and Sakura sat on a bench near the park together, both looking exhausted.

"Ooh man." Ino complained. "Tsunade-shisho is cruel. For the last four months I've had near constant headaches and my muscles never stop complaining because of everything she makes us do. And I have to train with my own family as well, along with running the flower shop with mom."

"Tell me about it." Sakura agreed, massaging her aching arms. "It looks like I've spend every waking moment the past four months either training with Tsunade-shisho, studying the books and scrolls she orders us to and working at the academy. Good thing I haven't had any missions lately; I'd be too exhausted to do them."

As they watched the sun slowly lower behind the houses, they sighed and stood up.

"I have to go." Sakura said as she wiped some dust off her outfit. "I still have to work on that physiology essay about the usage of different energy systems in activity. Good thing I finished the anatomy for this week already."

"You did?" Ino asked with surprise. "Can I borrow your notes on the anatomy study? I've already started on the physiology, so I'll show you what I got."

XxX

"Come on Naruto, you have to be able to keep that up without concentrating on it so much." Jiraiya said as he saw the chakra ring around Naruto's right elbow fade away again. "If you have to keep focusing on it, you'll be crippled in a fight. Now do it again!"

As he was ordered, Naruto formed the chakra ring around his arm and stood ready. Within a second, Jiraiya charged forward, a kunai in each of his hands.

Like the last twenty tries, Naruto's ring failed him and Jiraiya slashed open his arm again. Naruto screamed out in pain as the sensitive tendons and muscles were severed. They almost instantly began healing again, but even after the skin closed Naruto kept feeling the pain for a full three minutes.

"When you're ready, get back up so we can continue." Jiraiya roughly said.

Naruto stood up with a sour face, still holding his arm as if it were unable to move.

"Why do I have to do this anyway?" he questioned. "If I use Kyuubi's chakra, I get a shield of chakra around me so this technique would be useless anyway."

"Perhaps, but that form has some serious disadvantages, as you well know." Jiraiya replied. "Not only does it put a much larger strain on your body, but the transformation also prevents you from using Ninjutsu effectively. The only techniques you can do in your tailed form are the Rasengan and the Fox Fist, because they do not require you to form seals."

Again they clashed and again Naruto fell to the ground in extreme pain. While waiting for his pupil to recover, Jiraiya continued his lecture.

"Your most powerful combat form is the one you used against Gaara, Kimimaro and Sasuke. Your transformation was minimal, allowing you to stand on your legs with your arms free to do anything you want. Your senses are enhanced enough to detect almost any trap and your strength, speed and recovery speed up so much that it will demoralize almost any enemy. But in that form, your right arm is still weak, you need to learn to defend it, with either your own chakra or the Kyuubi's. Don't tell me you're always going to rely on that fox for everything?"

XxX

"Hmm… What can I do about that?" as he sat in his trademark crossed leg pose, Rock Lee's mind was racing over several questions at once. In his last mission, he had encountered a rather cunning enemy ninja that had entrapped him in Genjutsu. If not for the aid of his temporary team members, Hyuuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru and Kotetsu-sempai, Lee would have probably been left to the mercy of his enemy.

"I can fight Taijutsu head on, most Ninjutsu is evadable, but Genjutsu attacks are not so easily evaded. They're often ranged, hard to see and affect an area. What can I do about that?"

"Hoho Lee!" a familiar voice sounded from behind him. Looking around, he saw Gai-sensei landing behind him. "I see you have reached one of the major weaknesses of a Taijutsu-specialist. Tell me, what idea has your youthful mind thought of?"

"I'm not sure Gai-sensei!" the Green Beast of the Leaf said. "What sort of options would you suggest?"

"Now now, Lee." Gai said, wagging his finger in Lee's face. "You are a chuunin now, you should think of solutions for problems for yourself. I will not provide all the answers for you anymore, by passing the exam you've proven that you are wise enough to think of your own solutions now."

"Off course Sensei!" Lee said, jumping into a salute. "I will think of an answer to this problem before the sun sets, otherwise I…" he thought for a second what kind of a rule he would force unto himself this time, then continued, "otherwise I will do five hundred one-armed pull-ups with each arm."

"That's the spirit Lee!" Gai encouraged, slapping him on the shoulder. "But if I may give you a small piece of advice: remember the weaknesses of Genjutsu and use them to your advantages. Good luck my youthful former-student!"

As Gai disappeared as quickly as he had come, Lee quickly saluted him before sitting down to think on how to overcome his newest weakness.

XxX

"Very good Konohamaru." Shibata beamed with pride as he saw his grandson spar with his son. Of course, the academy student was no match for the much older, faster, stronger and more experienced Asuma, but his form and concentration were significantly improved in the past year.

Both fighters were using Bo staffs, with Asuma using a staff that was actually far too short for his body size; in the interest of fairness he had taken a weapon of the same size as Konohamaru's.

"Come on Konohamaru." Asuma said as he shifted his weight backward a bit. "Attack me. Show me how you are on the offense."

"Here I GO!" with a loud cry the youngster rushed forward, then jumped up to put his full weight behind the attack. Asuma's Bo hit him clean in the midriff before the child could even strike.

"Don't show such huge openings when you attack." The Jounin lectured. "Your first attack can decide the entire fight, so don't waste it. If you have no other alternative, use small, quick and precise attacks that are difficult to counter first. The big blows can follow later."

With a determination that matched Naruto's, Konohamaru stood, breathing heavily, and raised his staff again, ready to continue.

XxX

"How's that eh, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked as he was bent forward, hands on his knees, to catch his breath. His entire body was burning and aching, but his scalp was feeling particularly nasty. Jiraiya looked at the sight in front of him; all the targets he had set for Naruto to hit were punctured in the bulls-eye. Jiraiya smiled a bit at the sight.

"Not bad kid, but you still have a lot of work to do. After lunch I'm going to set new targets and I want you to hit them with half the projectiles you've used today. You just fired away until you hit every target, that won't do in a shinobi fight."

Grumbling, Naruto walked to the centre of their training area and sat down to attack his lunch with a passion. As Jiraiya watched his pupil wolf down the food, he silently compared him to how he had been a year ago, when they left Konoha.

'He's gotten taller, his hair is even wilder then before and his clothes, especially his right sleeve, are always torn.' The sage summed up. 'But more then that, his determination is better then ever, his chakra control is spiked and he's finally managed to calm himself down a little.'

"Hey Ero-Sennin, hurry up or I'm going to eat your share as well!" the teenager threatened.

'Then again…' Jiraiya thought. 'Maybe he hasn't changed that much yet.'

"You wouldn't dare." He answered aloud. "If you eat my lunch you'll be doing nothing but meditating for the next four days."

XxX

"Ok girls, lemme explain why we're here." Anko said as she addressed her small class. The fourteen year old Sakura, Ino, Hinata, fifteen year old Tenten and many other young Kunoichi sat in the room facing her.

"As you know, especially those of you who are studying to become medic ninja's, there are some very big differences between us girls and the guys." The wild jounin started. When she saw them nod, she continued.

"Good, then can someone name the main difference between them and us?" she asked. When no one spoke up, Anko's temper flared instantly.

"Come on, someone speak up!" she almost shouted. "It's not that difficult!"

Finally, Sakura raised her hands. Anko gave her a quick nod, signaling her to speak.

"The main difference between male and female bodies is the structures of muscles, the usage of the various energy systems in the body and the workings of hormones." She said, using one of the many lessons that Tsunade-shisho had ordered her to memorize.

"Almost right, but completely wrong!" Anko replied, surprising those that had studies under a medic ninja. "Let me tell you what the biggest difference is girls: a guy will easily be swayed to think with his little head instead of his brains."

At the surprised look on their faces, she continued. "If you wiggle your ass a little, their eyes will wander. Walk with a sway in your hips and any man will be distracted, flash him just enough of your cleavage or leg and you'll send their fantasies flying everywhere, allowing you, as a woman, to easily infiltrate an enemy base or create an opening in a fight. Your body is as much a weapon as a kunai, a sword or whatever other weapon it is you use. What I'm going to teach you is how to use it! As Kunoichi you will be faced with missions that include seducing men, or flirting and toying with them to get them to spill their information."

XxX

"Are you sure you're ready kid?" Jiraiya asked as he saw Naruto prepare himself. He dressed himself in clothing that would prevent him from standing out in the country they were currently visiting. The country, Utina, where he was staying was on a whole different continent then the Country of Fire. In fact, on this continent the number of Shinobi was so small that hardly anyone knew they existed. Naruto wasn't exactly sure what sort of people made up the armies on this continent, but Jiraiya said they were more weapons and armor oriented then the Shinobi.

But the few people that did know Shinobi existed would sometimes hire them to do dirty work, like Naruto was supposed to go and do now; in order to have enough income to survive, Naruto and Jiraiya had taken up a few missions. His current mission was a first-of-a-kind for him: he had to assassinate someone.

"Yeah I'm ready. This isn't the first time I'm going to kill someone." Naruto remarked. It would, in fact, be the second time he took a life.

"Yeah I know, but assassinating a person is a whole lot different then killing them in direct combat like you did with that chuunin from the Hidden Cloud."

"I'll be fine." Naruto replied. "My plan is good enough and I'll be gone before anyone notices what happened." Testing the spring-mechanism on his right hand once to ensure it was working Naruto stepped out the door and into the crowd. He moved swiftly, but made sure he didn't run: he had to act normally or he would stand out. When he was still three minutes away from the point where the actual assassination would take place, he could feel cold sweat flowing down his back.

'Calm down, you can do this.' He assured himself. Another minute and a half later, he spotted his target walking out of his home. When they closed up on the train station, which was something that Naruto had never seen before on his own continent, he speeded up to a light jog. All around him, people did the same as they tried to catch their train. Naruto quickly closed in on his target and, seemingly by accident, bumped into the man. The mechanism on his hand did its work, quickly piercing through the body of Naruto's target and retreating, and Naruto moved on, saying a loud apology for bumping into the man. When Naruto was already a hundred or so meters away, people noticed that the man had collapsed.

As he boarded his train to go to the next station, he let out a deep breath he didn't know he had been holding.

'Mission accomplished.' He thought with a sick feeling in his stomach.

XxX

Hinata could feel the sweat pouring down her back as she faced Neji-nii-san. Beside the recently promoted Jounin the figures of Hanabi and the second son of one of the elders, Hitaba, were down on the ground with the tenketsu in their arms closed. Hinata had already clashed with her cousin several times, leaving her arms tired, burning and sections of them unable to use chakra thanks to Neji's precision attacks. Hinata had more success then either her sister or Hitaba, mostly because of her age and the fact that she had put Anko-sensei's lessons to good effect. The result was that she had closed three Tenketsu on Neji's arms before the Branch-house member had knocked her away. She had never gotten that far in a spar with him before.

'It feels very… wrong to use tactics like that against my own cousin.' Hinata couldn't shake the oddity of it, but renewed her attacks all the same, ensuring that she used the miniature bounce in her step that Anko-sensei had taught her. This time, Neji was not so surprised to see the tactic and easily countered Hinata's charge.

As she stood, the tenketsu in both her arms closed just like they had been with the other two fighters, Hinata could see her father. He had obviously been watching the spar and seemed pleased enough with what he saw. As was her habit, Hinata continued to go through the different stances and movements for Jyuuken for the next hour and half, continuously holding mock-battles with non-existent opponents or other people who were going through their forms, before retiring to her room to study her history, politics and anatomy once more.

If she were to succeed her father one day, she would need as much knowledge as she could get, especially in politics.

XxX

Akimichi Chouza turned around as the door opened, revealing his son Chouji. "Aah, Chouji good, you're here." the large jounin said. "You've been a chuunin for a year and a half now and you've already learned all the basics for our family's style of Ninjutsu." He said.

Chouji walked into the room, sat down opposite his father and listened to what the elder Akimichi would say.

"Since you've learned the basics, I think the time is ready for you to receive your own set of armor to wear, like all adult Akimichi wear. Stand up so we can take your measures and customize it."

At once Chouji stood up to comply with the order. To be given the Akimichi -armor was a great honor; it served as a coming-of-age ceremony for their clan.

While Chouji's mother took her son's measurements, Chouza made a short explanation to his son.

"As you know Chouji, the Akimichi-armor is made of one of the few materials that guide chakra rather then stop it. That is the reason that the armor will grow with us when we use our special techniques, rather then trap us inside it. However, because of that the armor is slightly weaker then it would be if it were made of real metal, and will consume a small amount of chakra to grow with you. It will take some getting used too, but I'm confident that you'll soon get the hang of it. And once you do, you'll want to wear your armor everywhere you can."

The measuring continued for another fifteen minutes before Chouji was free to leave. Just as he was about to leave and inform Shikamaru about the event, Chouza spoke up again.

"Oh and Chouji, a word of advice: make sure that your hair never gets stuck beneath your armor. If you use the Hair Hardening that I've taught you, the hair will have nowhere to go and puncture your back instead of your enemy."

"Yes, thank you dad, mom. I'll be going now." Chouji excused himself, but as soon as he had closed the door behind him he literally jumped with joy leaving a large dent in the floor. Upon his landing, he quickly left his house, intent on telling Shikamaru, Ino and Asuma-sensei of what had happened.

'Maybe I can get Asuma-sensei to buy us all dinner.' He thought as he walked.

XxX

Sasuke looked at his opponent reformed himself again. After having sparred with the odd blue-haired Suigetsu more times then he cared to count for almost two and a half year he wasn't surprised to see the former Mist Ninja reform himself out of pure water. Sitting at the side, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Karin and a few other scientists that Sasuke wasn't familiar with were carefully watching the fight.

He and Suigetsu were both trained by Orochimaru together, causing a rivalry of sorts to spark between them. Suigetsu held an advantage in Taijutsu because his ability to fall into water made it almost impossible to really damage him, while it allowed him to freely transform his body to increase his speed or strength as he saw fit. Orochimaru had given them each an identical, guard less katana to use against each other, but Suigetsu was obviously the better swordsman; unlike Sasuke he had been trained in the art ever since he was a child.

Still, with practicing alone and with the use of his Sharingan, Sasuke had quickly learned some impressive maneuvering. Suigetsu couldn't hold a candle to the Uchiha in the field of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu but even so the two pushed each other to new limits.

Suigetsu had reformed his body and charged the Uchiha again. Without his Sharingan activated, so he could train his body's natural reaction speed, Sasuke was barely in time to block the strike then step to the side to counter. However, Suigetsu was ahead of him and swept Sasuke's legs from underneath him. As he was falling, Sasuke could only watch as Suigetsu blade moved to pierce his skull, right between his eyes.

XxX

"Damn mom, how much longer do I have to do this!?" Kiba complained as he lay next to Akamaru. Both were panting heavily as sweat poured down their bodies. They were lying on the beach of the Konoha Lake, where they enjoyed their much desired ten minute break.

"I've been drilling new tunnels between the lake and the forest for the past three days, and before that I had to carve a new shelter out of the Hokage's mountain, and before THAT I had to help create the waterway to the new south-east district. I'm too damn tired!"

"Oh shut it you big puppy." His mother said as she emerged from a hole near the young Inuzuka. "This works both ways: you're training yourself to increase the power of your rotating attacks as well as the endurance so you can keep it up the techniques a lot longer. And while you're training, you're also helping the village. Don't complain, grab your lunch and get ready to continue."

"Aargh, Mom I'm trained to be a DOG-using Ninja aren't I?" he argued. "They why are Akamaru and I being trained like a pair of freaking MOLES!"

"Stop your whining and get to work!" Tsume barked at her son. Beside her, her large one-eyed dog enhanced the statement with an actual bark. "If you ever want to be accepted for the Jounin exam, finish these trainings we give you. Otherwise you'll just get rejected after the physical exam, just like last time!"

"Do you HAVE to rub that in all the time?!"

Three months ago Kiba had tried to partake in the Jounin exam, but he had been denied before ever partaking in the actual test; the medics that had examined him had claimed that physically he wasn't strong enough yet to partake in such a dangerous activity. Ever since then he had been training himself as hard as he could, hoping to enter the next Jounin exam that would take place.

XxX

Naruto looked down at his right palm, immensely pleased with himself. He had finally, after training, rethinking and re-designing for almost a year, finished his newest technique. He sensed Jiraiya coming near him and, looking at the direction he sensed the sage was coming from, was just in time to see the Toad Master emerge from the forest.

"What the hell was all that?" the Sage demanded. "I could hear, and see, the destruction going on from the town. The town that's a kilometer away from here!"

Grinning, Naruto pointed, with his left, ahead of him.

"I've completed it!" was all he said.

Surprised with the statement, Jiraiya turned to watch the direction that Naruto was pointing at. His mouth fell open when he saw the destruction of the area.

Naruto had been in the middle of a forest when he was training, and his newest technique had ripped some of the trees apart, carved a deep groove into the ground and showed many other signs of mass destruction for half a kilometer ahead.

"Impressive indeed." Jiraiya said. "That makes four doesn't it?"

"Yup!" Naruto answered with a broad and proud grin. Jiraiya gave him a pad on the head, proud of the achievement, but then sighed and spoke up again "We'll have to leave again because of this though. Shame, there were quite a lot of beautiful females around here, I was getting some really good inspiration for my next couple of books."

Naruto muttered something suspiciously like "Pervert" under his breath, but asked in a much louder tone, "So, where'll we be going now then Ero-Sennin?"

"Hmm." Jiraiya thought, "We still have about nine months left before we have to return to the village, how about we go to the continent to the south for a bit? That continent is supposed to be specialized in very strange forms of Taijutsu. And you need to work on your Taijutsu quite a bit; lately you've been slacking in that area."

Half an hour later, while some people went to investigate the destruction that Naruto had caused, the two ninja checked out of the hotel they had been staying at.

"It was a pleasure to have you here, Master Taoder, Master Tempest." The receptionist said as Jiraiya handed the key over.

"Yeah, it was our pleasure to be here. Later." Naruto answered.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me…" Jiraiya said as the two shinobi moved across the empty lands some twenty minutes later. "It's about time I'm going to teach you how to seduce a woman and, more importantly, how to recognize them seducing you for an ulterior purpose."

XxX

"Congratulations Shikamaru." Iruka said as he handed out the diploma to the pineapple-headed chuunin. "You are now officially a teacher at the Konoha Ninja Acadamy. You'll begin teaching a class at the start of the new school year, next month. Use that time to rest yourself well and prepare yourself: I think you'll find that you have few chances to rest yourself properly once you start teaching."

"Thank you Iruka-sensei." Shikamaru returned. "What class will I be teaching?"

"I was thinking that you should start with a new class, so you'll have to instruct them in most of the basics and enhance their endurance mostly. First year classes are the easiest in terms of material you need to teach them."

"Yeah, but the hardest to control." The lazy Nara replied. "But I'll manage. I'll see you in a month then Sensei."

"Going to tell Ino right away?" the scarred chuunin teased.

Shikamaru gave a loud sigh before he spoke up, without turning around, "Why is it that, ever since that card game where I was forced to confess I had a thing for blondes everyone thinks I'm in love with Ino? She's not the only blond around."

"So, there's someone else who's caught your eye then?"

"No comment."

XxX

"Good, tell me what you saw." Shino quietly ordered the dragonfly that had landed on his finger. The small bug began its series of buzzes, hums and other sounds that it used to communicate. Shino had to focus to understand what his spy was saying; he had recently enhanced his colony by adding a third type of bug, the Dragonfly. He had significant difficulty to maintain control over two different types of bugs, but after two years he could finally control them well enough to have yet another type inserted into his body.

'So now I have ants, dragonflies and my initial chakra bugs.' He listed inside his head. But he had to refocus to fully understand what the dragonfly was saying.

'Hmm.' The teenage Aburame was silent for a few seconds as he thought of a plan. 'Three people standing in the room, each guarding an entrance, but none of them paying attention to the ceiling. Fools.' Shino had never been able to understand that so many trained Shinobi, despite living in a world where you had to believe everything was your enemy, did not watch out for bugs that were not supposed to be in the room.

'Most of the scrolls are rolled up, so my bugs will not be able to read what it says. It seems the only option I have left is to inform my squad that we will have to directly engage the enemy.' Shino moved away from his location and quickly moved away from his hiding area. He ordered half of his chakra-bugs to remain behind, along with a portion of the ants that were hiding underneath the house, while he went to inform his teammates. He had been sent on this mission with three others, two of whom he didn't know. Ino was his fourth party member who was chosen for her expertise in infiltration and medical ninjutsu. All four were of chuunin level and exiled in stealth, infiltration and information gathering.

Shino informed his team of his observations and listed a possible plan of action he had thought off. After they had suggested some adjustments they agreed and within ten minutes Shino and the others were hurrying back to the fortress.

'Now.' he mentally ordered his bugs as soon as he was in range. 'The Destruction bugs will drain the guard of their chakra, but leave no wounds. The ants must quickly roll the scrolls open, so the dragonflies and Destruction bugs must memorize its content. Afterwards, role the scroll up again and leave through a tunnel that the ants dig.'

Knowing that the bugs would follow his orders, he released the dragonflies and sat back while his teammates went to work creating a distraction.

If all went well, no-one would know that the information in the scrolls had been copied.

'As it should be.'

XxX

"Congratulations to all of you." Iruka said, beaming with pride as he looked down at his charges. "You have all passed the academy exam and are ready to be set into groups of three, each with your own jounin sensei. Since you have passed the exams, you are now worthy to wear a Leaf-forehead protector and will partake in many missions for the sake of your village. Form a line and I will hand you the forehead protector, a symbol of your loyalty and devotion to the Village of the Leaf and the Nation of Fire."

As he had ordered, all his students quickly lined up. Hanabi and Konohamaru were standing at the front of the line, as was their privilege as the top-of-the-class. Konohamaru stepped back and let Hanabi step forward, claiming "ladies should go first."

Knowing that her father and others of the Hyuuga clan were waiting outside for her, Hanabi didn't object to the mocking tone in Konohamaru's voice, but walked forward.

She quickly claimed her headband and, copying her sister, bound it around her neck to show her clean and un-marked forehead.

Konohamaru was next and quickly tied his forehead protector instead the goggle's he had been wearing for longer then Iruka had kept count of. Before he stepped aside to allow the next person to claim a headband, he quickly whispered a question to his teacher.

"Hey, Sensei, do I look like Naruto-nii-chan now?"

XxX

Naruto couldn't stop the huge grin that was spreading on his face as he walked through the forest he could remember so clearly, even though he had not seen it in almost four years. He increased his walk to a light jog, jumped into one of the trees and pushed of even further so he ended up floating a good twenty meters above the trees.

"Hey, Ero-Sennin!" he shouted to his teacher, "I can see it! We're getting near the village!"

As he landed Naruto ran to a small stream nearby and checked himself out. His hair had grown a bit, but it wasn't too different then his old style. After spending almost eight months on the Southern Continent, his skin had been colored a bit darker, his hair was a few tones lighter and he appeared healthier then he had ever been. He even wore a completely new outfit, which Jiraiya had bought for him last week when they arrived in a port in the Country of the Wave.

His new outfit was very similar to his old one, with orange still being the main color, but now his shoulders and left arm were dressed in black, just like his zipper. The right arm of his outfit had also been black, but it had been torn to shreds in his training session; it happened with every outfit he wore while training or fighting.

His forehead protector was also attached to a new headband, since his old one was too small and worn after spending nearly three years in Naruto's bag. Jiraiya had insisted that Naruto did not wear his forehead protector while traveling in other countries.

Naruto quickly moved into a dash, Jiraiya quickly speeded up to follow his apprentice. The two ninja crossed through the main gate of Konoha at the same time, then stopped as they looked at their surroundings.

The village had grown in the past three years, re-assuming the size and wealth that they had before Orochimaru and the Sand had attacked them and even growing. The Hokage-Mountain had grown a fifth face in their absence; Tsunade's face was engraved into the stone with a proud look.

Unable to hold himself back, Naruto used his hands to cup his mouth, forming a make-shift speaker.

"I'M HOME!"

* * *

As always much thanks to Kushin-eX for his work as my beta. He also suggested that I write this chapter, which has come out pretty well in both of our opinions.

Yes, it's not the post-timeskip that I promised last chapter, but this is a little Christmas surprise, the next chapter will, obviously, be post-timeskip.

As always, please tell me what you think of this chapter and the various scenes. I tried to give everyone a bit of the spotlight, since I've neglected most characters a bit so far.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Lucifer-Allheart, posting for the last time this year.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Only the idea for this fic.

* * *

As Naruto walked through the gates to Konoha again, he couldn't help but make a remark.

"I've gotta say, that was one eventful homecoming. It's definitely a week to remember."

Next to him, Sakura, Neji, Lee and Tenten decided not to make any cutting remarks towards the blond. They where tired enough as it was, although not having to travel with their teachers for the last day was nice. Gai had taken it upon himself to bring Kakashi to the hospital as quickly as he could, which resulted in the two teachers leaving behind their squads.

The past week, as Naruto had sad, was more then a little eventful: just after Naruto finally got home, Gaara had been kidnapped by Akatsuki and Team 7 had been send out to assist the Sand with the rescue. Because of the damage done to the Hidden Village of the Sand, the Konoha team had been the only one to actually give chase to the Akatsuki and fight them, with some assistance from a retired Sand Ninja. Within mere days, Naruto had seen, fought and defeated Uchiha Itachi, although it was actually a fake, and two new members that he had never seen before. One, a hunchback with a half-masked face, was defeated by Sakura and Chiyo, although both had suffered their share of injuries in the fight, and the other was a male with long blond hair who used bombs. A LOT of bombs

Naruto had spent the better part of an hour chasing after the bomber, with Kakashi helping as best he could. With their combined efforts, they had brought the bomber down and freed Gaara. When Gai and his team appeared, along with Sakura and Chiyo, it seemed the cloak-wearing missing-nin realized he was outclassed and killed himself. Although Naruto was relieved he hadn't revealed all his techniques in one fight, he had some serious doubts about whether or not the suicide was real.

In quick succession his friends left after entering the village. Lee had to prepare for his next mission, which he had later that same day, Tenten was going to stock up on weapons again and Neji was going to report to the Hokage in case Gai, in his enthusiasm, had forgotten. Sakura excused herself to go and change her outfit, because her current one was torn, dirtied and otherwise ruined because of her fight.

So, an hour after re-entering Konoha for the second time in a week, Naruto was strolling the streets on his own as he slowly made his way to Ichiraku Ramen. Trusting his memory and nose, he quickly found it and ordered his favorite Miso Ramen.

"Well, well, look who it is." The old man said as Naruto entered. "I heard you last week, what happened? Forgot where to find us?" the last question was more of a joke then an accusation, but Naruto still started to apologize.

"No, it's not like that, honest!" he quickly said, waving his hands in front of him as if he where batting away a physical attack. "I just got back last week and before I even got a chance to go to my place I was ordered on a mission to the Sand! I just got back a little while ago and I got here as fast as I could!"

"Haha, relax Naruto, I was kidding." Ichiraku said with a laugh. "So, you got send of to the Sand right away huh? What'd you have to do?"

"I can't say, its top secret!" Naruto claimed, knowing full well that it was not a secret.

"Oh really, a top secret?" Ayane asked from the back of the kitchen, happy and playful tones in her voice as always, "How about I give you this one ramen for free? How much could you tell me about it?"

"Well it was really awesome!" Naruto said as soon as she placed the extra-large bowl in front of him. "We had to go and rescue Gaara, he's the Kazekage now, and fight these really strong but weird guys!"

Within ten minutes, Naruto had already devoured the second helping of Miso Ramen and was eagerly telling a detailed description of his fights with the Akatsuki members to his favorite chefs.

XxX

Half an hour after she had gotten home, Sakura was done with her bath and ready to change into her new outfit. There was only one problem: Sasori had ruined her favorite outfit and she didn't have a spare set of it. And, since the outfit had actually been a gift from her parents for her birthday, she had no idea where she could buy another one.

'Well… this is as good a time as any to try out that outfit that Tsunade-shishou gave me…' she thought as she pulled it out of the closet.

Another ten minutes later Sakura looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked, but pleasantly surprised, by the change.

Her hair, now at shoulder-length, was kept mostly loose with the two bangs framing her face as always. But other then that, there was nothing of her outfit that was similar to her old one. Unlike before, when red or pink had always been the main theme of her clothes, this suit was mostly green, Tsunade's preferred color.

She wore the same high-heeled shoes that the Slug Sannin used, with a few straps around her shins to make sure they wouldn't get stuck somewhere. Instead of the hot pants she wore before, there was now only a fish-net stocking that reached halfway to her thighs that covered her legs, complete with a green short skirt to protect her modesty, all finished up nicely with a belt to keep the skirt in place from a rogue gust of wind while also providing a place for the kunoichi to hold her kunai, shuriken and medicine.

Her abdomen was left naked, also a first for her, with a green sleeveless zipper jacket protecting her chest. Right over her heart, the symbol of Slug Sannin was engraved, leaving no doubt about whom her teacher was. She considered leaving the zipper half-open, like Tsunade had told her, but quickly closed it up: she didn't have the… figure for that just yet. Keeping her neck and shoulders warm was a piece of black cloth that had the marking of the Land of Fire on the shoulders. It extended a little bit to wrap her upper left arm into the trademark bandages of a shinobi, where she actually had a couple of special medical scalpels hidden in case of emergency. The only real piece of defensive equipment was a bracer she wore on her right arm, which she could use to safely deflect most blades and punches. Rounding the outfit off was her forehead protector, which as always, was tied around her hair like a ribbon.

The outfit looked more then a little scandalous, but that had been the point. Sakura, who was quite modest when it came to dressing herself, needed to look as sexy as possible to distract her enemies, as Anko had taught almost all the kunoichi.

'Well… it'll be a change, but it's no worse then the outfits that Anko-sensei or Kurenai-sensei wear… I'll get used to it… I hope'

XxX

As Naruto was now bragging, over his seventh bowl of free ramen, about his training trip with Jiraiya, a shadow appeared before the Ichiraku shop. In a sudden, totally silent move, one of the three figures that created the shadow dashed forward, attempting to storm the small restaurant. But before he could even make three steps towards the building, a chopstick flew out directly towards his face. The young man could barely evade the stick in time by slipping his head to the left. In one fluent movement, he quickly continued in a dodging roll and then jumped up, preparing to attack from above.

But again his plan was diverted before he was even halfway there. In a blur, an orange shadow shot past the attacker and pushed him in the back, sending him flying into the ground headfirst. Naruto landed right next to his assailant, a grin on his features.

"That should teach you to try and attack your leader, Konohamaru!"

Konohamaru, who was still lying on the ground, quickly got up and retorted. Naruto noticed that he had changed his outfit quite a bit. He no longer whore the goggles or helmet, but now he had a forehead protector just like the blond. Neither did he wear his two long shawls and a light-green jacket had replaced his old shirt with the Konoha-symbol on its back. Beneath that, he wore dark-green pants and the same black sandals that almost every Konoha Shinobi wore. Tied to his back was a staff that was almost as long as the young genin was tall, with both ends being significantly thicker then the rest of the weapon.

"I didn't expect any less of you, our Leader and the only man we look up to! Now, we'll show you just what I've learned in the three years you where gone! Behold the power of the next Hokage!"

As he jumped up, Konohamaru quickly grabbed his staff and launched another attack on Naruto. Naruto did not return the offensive, instead being content with simply dodging all of the young Sarutobi's attacks with ease: compared to some of the other weapon-fighters he had encountered during his trips, Konohamaru's movements where slow, predictable and full of openings.

"Since when do you use a staff?" Naruto enquired as he ducked under a full-length swing. "And who taught you how to use it?"

"I've been using it for almost two years now!" the genin exclaimed as he stepped back to regain his breath a bit. "And uncle Asuma trained me on how to use it. Impressed?"

"Very." Naruto said, lying a little to sooth Konohamaru's ego. "But you still have yet to hit me."

"That's change now!" as he boasted, Konohamaru charged forward, aiming to attack Naruto's head. As he charged, one of the weighted tips suddenly began to glow in an aura of chakra, surprising Naruto. He raised his left hand, intend on parrying the staff before counter-attacking Konohamaru, but was surprised when his hand didn't hit its mark: the tip of the staff was removed from the weapon!

Instantly, Naruto spotted a small line of chakra that was emitted from the tip of the staff and, following it, saw it was attached to the weighted end that was now swinging towards him. Without time to completely evade it, Naruto did the next best thing: he swung his head back just enough for the weight to touch his forehead protector instead of his unprotected head, and as soon as it bounced off the metal plate grabbed Konohamaru's staff with his right hand. From there, he pulled the genin off-balance and punched him in the gut with his left hand.

Konohamaru fell down to the ground with a groan of pain.

"You should know better then to attack a superior shinobi in brought daylight without back-up." Naruto lectured the young Sarutobi as he laid the staff back on the ground. "Your next opponent might not be as kind as I am."

"I told him not to attack the Leader, but Konohamaru-chan just doesn't listen to advice." A girl's voice suddenly sounded from behind the two. Moegi and Udon stood some distance away from the fight, content with simply watching instead of helping. Not that they could have helped if they wanted to: Udon's right arm was heavily bandaged and hang in a sling around his shoulder, while Moegi was using two crutches to stand. Her left foot was also packed in heavy bandages that ran all the way up to her knee.

"What happened to you guys?" Naruto asked in surprise as he saw them.

"On our last mission, we encountered a team of enemy ninja." Udon explained. "We tried to fight them, but they outclassed us severely. Konohamaru-kun managed to hold his assailant off without getting any serious injuries, but Moegi-san and I weren't so fortunate. Before Ebisu-sensei could defeat them, they broke my arm in three places as well as dislocate my shoulder. Moegi-san had her ankle broken as well as her shin; all of our injuries should take around a month more to fully heal."

Without anything better to say, Naruto told them he was sorry for what they had to go through, before attempting to invite them to join him at Ichiraku. Before he could fully make his request, however, Neji walked up to him.

"I thought I'd be able to find you here." the Hyuuga Jounin said. "I've finished reporting to the Hokage and Hiashi-sama has requested that you meet him at the Hyuuga estate. If you want I can show you the way, I don't think you've ever been there before."

"Thanks Neji, I'll come and see him soon. Right now I want to talk to these three some more first if you don't mind." Naruto suggested. This, in turn, caused Moegi and Udon to protest and say that Naruto should go with the black-haired man right away: it was not everyday someone received a summon from the head of the Hyuuga Clan.

With the insistence of the trio that he should go, Naruto ended up following Neji to the mansion after all.

XxX

"Hey Shino…" Kiba suddenly said as he sniffed something in the air. "Can you smell that?"

"Kiba." The bug-user started his tone as monotonous as always. "You know that neither my bugs nor I have your sense of smell. We cannot notice scents like you do."

"Yeah, yeah I know, I know." the Inuzuka said with annoyance. "It's a habit to say it's a smell, but I think you should be able to feel this particular presence. This stench is without a doubt-"

"Naruto." Shino interrupted as he finally located the person that Kiba was revering too.

"Yeah and it looks like he's heading to the Hyuuga's place." Kiba added. "Wanna go and meet up with him or shall we wait a bit and catch him later?"

"Let's wait for now." the Aburame suggested. "Right now he is going to the Hyuuga mansion, so Hinata will see him again for the first time in a long while. We should let her meet with him in some manner of piece, without us interrupting their time."

"Yeah, maybe we should." Kiba agreed with his best human friend. "Hey, Shino." He suddenly added after a second. "How long do you think Hinata will last before she faints? My money is on twenty seconds!"

The Aburama looked at his friend over his sunglasses for a second before speaking up.

"Kiba, you of all people should know that Hinata is stronger then that." he scolded the dog-user. "She'll be able to last for at least a minute in front of him before fainting now."

At that, Kiba let out a loud barking laugh.

XxX

As Naruto followed Neji through the gates of the Hyuuga mansion, he mentally prepared himself for his meeting with Hiashi.

'Come on, this shouldn't be so difficult.' He assured himself. 'I've been in the face of royalty, nobles, fallen nobles and criminal lords before, just act like Ero-Sennin taught you: play it cool and be polite.'

While Naruto was busy re-assuring himself, Neji was met by another member of the Branch family who quickly informed him of something. Naruto could have sworn he saw the shadow of a smirk appear around the Hyuuga genius' mouth.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but it seems Hiashi-sama is still occupied with his work right now; I'm afraid I found you quicker then he had expected. Would you care for a small tour of the mansion while we wait?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto replied, folding his hands behind his head.

"Then, follow me." The white-robed jounin stated.

Neji walked the familiar path to the gardens behind the mansion, which where filled with flowers, trees, bushes, vines and many other sorts of plant-life of all colors. Combined with the rocks, small pools and waterfalls that filled the area, it looked nothing short of stunning.

"Waauw…" Naruto uttered in amazement as he viewed the place.

"This is the Garden of White, one of the prides of the Hyuuga clan." Neji explained. "Most of the Hyuuga members spend their free time here, and those who do not become shinobi often busy themselves taking care of the Garden. Currently, Hinabi-sama, the wife of Hiashi-sama and mother of Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama, oversees the Garden, with much success. There is not a trace left of the damages that where done three years ago during the One-Day-War."

"It's really beautiful." The hyperactive blond replied, still at a loss for words.

"Yes, it is. The Hyuuga often come here when they wish to clear their minds or enjoy the tranquility of this place. It is also used as an area for meditation and a training ground for the young Hyuuga to learn how to use their Byakugan; it is a task for the younger ones to identify all the flower kinds at once, without turning around. Shall we proceed to the training area?"

"Yeah, sure."

XxX

As Tsunade was sitting in her office, finally finished with her paperwork for the day, she leaned back in her chair.

"How long do you intend to sit outside my window?" she suddenly asked.

"I was just about to come in, didn't want to interrupt you in your hard work of course." Jiraiya answered as he climbed through the window. As always, the Toad-Sannin sat himself down on the window rather then a chair. "So, how'd it end up?" he asked.

"Better then we feared, but worse then we had hoped." Tsunade replied. "Sakura and Chiyo managed to defeat Sasori of the Red Sand, a prominent member of Akatsuki, but were unable to learn anything about the other members before he died. Nothing at all. The only thing he was kind enough to share was that Orochimaru was his former partner, but aside from that he kept everything to himself."

"Well, at least there's one Akatsuki we don't have to worry about. That's already quite a feat. It's even more impressive that it where only two people who defeated him; among all of Akatsuki, Sasori was probably the best when it comes to fighting multiple opponents. I've received some more information about the Akatsuki while they where busy too."

"Oh? Do tell." Tsunade said, interested in learning more about her enemies.

"It looks like Akatsuki has prepared itself to move out of the shadow now: they've already gathered no less then five of the Tailed Demons, including the One-tail. But aside from that, I think they've also managed to acquire a few other demons that I'm not so familiar with. They're about ready to declare open war; otherwise they would have never chanced attacking the Hidden Sand. But more importantly, in the time I was gone one of my agents discovered the identity of most other Akatsuki members, although he wasn't too sure of their abilities yet. One of them goes by the name of Kakuzu and is one of Akatsuki's oldest and most powerful members. The other is his partner, someone by the name of Hidan. This Hidan guy only just joined Akatsuki after Kakazu's formed partner was killed. Other then that, he couldn't get any more information without risking himself. Besides that, I'm now completely sure of another member's identity and ability. Kouba Zetsu is a member of Akatsuki that acts on his own, and serves as their spy and scout."

"So what's his ability?" the Fifth Hokage enquired

"He's a master of Earth Elemental techniques, up to the point where he can travel several kilometers underground in a matter of seconds. Besides that he also appears to have an ability that allows him to bond himself to plant-life and use that to scout ahead or spy. I'm not so sure about his combat abilities, but it's best to assume that anywhere other then in the middle of the ocean is a dangerous place to fight him; he can control the earth and plants around him well enough to defend himself from the assault of a jounin." Jiraiya summed up, adding some of his speculations to his information.

"A true member of Akatsuki then." Tsunade said. "Abilities the likes of which are hard to imagine, even in the shinobi world. You still don't have anything on the last two members?"

"No, the leader of Akatsuki and his or her partner are quite adapt at keeping themselves hidden."

Before Jiraiya could talk any further, there was a nock on the door and Shizune entered. At a nod of the two Sannin, she spoke up.

"Tsunade-sama, it is almost time to leave for the meeting. Do you wish for Jiraiya-sama to take my place and accompany you?" there was a tone of nervousness and hope that Jiraiya did not miss.

"No, taking another Kage-level shinobi with me would only appear uncertain and threatening to them. You'll go with me, just as we had planned." Tsunade replied, much to the disappointment of her assistant.

"Who're you meeting?" Jiraiya finally asked; his curiosity spiked. "And why is Shizune so nervous?"

"It's a secret meeting that's planned for midnight tonight." Tsunade answered, looking at her teammate directly. "It's a meeting between the Five Kage's about what we're going to do about Akatsuki."

XxX

"And here are the training grounds." Neji said as he showed Naruto to a large area behind the main building. Scattered around it where various pieces of training equipment, ranging from weights to rotating poles to enhance dodging. And, in the middle of the area, two people where sparring together.

They where standing in a small circle, probably to limit the area where they where allowed to move, and their hands where rapped in some sort of gloves that Naruto couldn't recognize.

"They're Chakra-absorption gloves." Neji answered as he saw Naruto's questioning look. "They're used by members of the Hyuuga when they spar and wish to use the true Jyuuken, instead of only going through the forms. They stop any and all chakra from flowing through them, allowing the user to fight with Jyuuken without injuring his or her training partner."

But Naruto had stopped listening to Neji half way through his explanation. From where he was standing he had a perfect view of the sparring and, with some effort, could see the combatants well enough. Both where female and there was a clear age difference between the two. Still they seemed to be evenly matched.

The elder female, an adult with long black hair, was currently on the defense, stepping back to evade a strike to the temple. But as she stepped back, the younger shinobi continued in the movement and performed a low spinning kick, sweeping the older fighter off her feet. As the teenager downed her opponent, Naruto had a clear view of her breasts, bouncing rather heavily. Like always did when shown a sight like that, Naruto's cheeks turned a bit red. Even after all of Jiraiya's attempts at seduction training and reading half of the Icha Icha series, he would always blush in the presence of an ample bosom.

While the elder Hyuuga recovered, Naruto had a clear shot at the teenage fighter as she turned around.

She had long dark-blue hair that fell down her back, not quite reaching her shapely behind but enough to draw his attention all the way down. She wore a fishnet-shirt, a piece of clothing that always provoked his worst thoughts, covered by a black top to hide her breasts and abdomen from sight. It still showed just a hint of cleavage, enough to distract any male's thoughts some more. Off course, the forehead protector that was sewed into the shirt, just over her chest, didn't help stop his thoughts any. Below that she wore the more standard blue shinobi pants, which Naruto thought looked great on her, and the always-worn blue sandals.

But before Naruto had any chance to ask a question or ogle the girl more, the other Hyuuga had recovered and went on the assault. A straight palm strike, aimed at the teenager's chin, was dodged by bending over backwards. That move, especially the 'jiggling' that it caused went straight to Naruto's pants.

'Not good!' the blond realized, stuffing his hands in his pocket to hide his dilemma. It wouldn't do to be caught with a near hard-on simply from watching a girl spar; Ero-Sennin would never let him hear the end of it!

'Orochimaru naked on a cold day! Orochimaru naked on a cold day! Orochimaru naked on a cold day!' He chanted in his head desperately. As soon as he had formed half a mental image he had to resist the need to puke, which would also be considered quite an insult, but it had severed his purpose: there was no sign of his previous dilemma left.

Only problem was now, he had the image of a naked Orochimaru in his head.

Just when he considered it safe to look up again, he could see the female teenager evading a blow intended to her head once again and countering by striking her opponent in the abdomen. However, the means by which she evaded once again caused Naruto a lot of uneasiness: she had performed a perfect split, widening her legs so far that she was hovering only a few centimeters above the ground, with her legs still fully extended. Again the pose sent his mind into overdrive.

'OLD MAN SARUTOBI NAKED IN A POND ON A COLD DAY! OLD MAN SARUTOBI NAKED IN A POND ON A COLD DAY! OLD MAN SARUTOBI NAKED IN A POND ON A COLD DAY!'

XxX

Hyuuga Hiashi was standing some distance away from the sparring grounds, checking up on the status of the mock duel between his oldest daughter and his cousin, knowing his presence would distract them. His mere presence, even without making himself known, always made any other member of the Hyuuga family very formal, stopping them from performing as they normally would. But seeing their actual performance, without additional pressure, was not all that difficult with the Byakugan; he could simply stand some distance away and look at them through the walls of his estate.

As it was he could clearly see Hinata defeat Hisana. It was no surprise: Hinata had been trained as a scout, which meant her movement and combat skills where of crucial importance to her survival. On the other hand, Hisana was a specialized Genjutsu-mistress who had never really mastered the use of Taijutsu in her fighting. It was one of the reasons that the Branch-family member, despite almost twenty years of service as a shinobi, had never progressed past Chuunin rank. And more then that, Hisana relied on her Byakugan to aid her in Genjutsu. Hinata had learned to survive without her bloodline limit because it could be detected or could give away an identity. Using a Transformation Technique did not stop the trademark blood vessels from appearing. And now, the two woman where sparring without using their Byakugan so as to improve their fighting skill in situations where they could not use their advantage, or when they would be too low on chakra to rely on it.

As it was, Hiashi was more then a little pleased: both kunoichi where obviously trying their bests and the match was quite good, although Hinata was dominating the fight quite a bit. He was pleased to see that his daughter had finally managed to incorporate the seductive movements of a kunoichi into her fighting, even if she was fighting another woman. It had been the suggestion of her teacher, Kurenai, that she always uses those techniques when fighting. They would not hinder her movements, nor would they drain any chakra that she could otherwise use to her advantages; they would only serve to distract the enemy, even if they were a woman. Women, as Kurenai had said, could become jealous of other women very quickly.

And Hiashi thought that Hinata, like her mother, was growing into a young woman that would be very envied by other woman.

It was in the middle of their spar that Neji walked in with Hiashi's expected guest: Uzumaki Naruto. It was the first time that Hiashi had seen the boy since he left nearly three years ago, and his presence blinded the Hyuuga Clan Leader temporarily. The boy was giving off as much chakra as ever, which was already an annoyance to a Byakugan-user, but his right arm was so filled with chakra it nearly blinded Hiashi.

But, after a second, Hiashi had no trouble to watch the spar anymore. As a master of the Byakugan, he could simply reduce the amount of visual input he received from Naruto. a few seconds later, while Hinata and Hisana had still not noticed the new arrivals, Hiashi noticed that he was not the only one pleased with Hinata's progress…

While he did an admirable job of covering it up, Uzumaki Naruto's body left no doubt that the boy was pleased with how Hinata fought.

Realizing the time, Hiashi turned around and moved to the dining room: it was nearly lunchtime and he still had to check up on the gift he had prepared. As he turned, he saw Naruto's body once again react to Hinata's movements. He did not even try to hide the smile that graced his lips.

Hinata has always wished for his attention, although Hiashi was not sure whether to call it 'love,' a 'crush' or simply 'adoration' but he knew she had worked hard for the blond to recognize her. And now, it seems, he was taking notice of her, although maybe not in the way she had wished for.

Oh well, Hiashi wouldn't mind it in the slightest. The mere thought of Naruto had allowed his daughters to advance quite a bit in three years. If he where actually present, they could perhaps improve even further. And, should he truly come to love Hinata and marry her, then it would improve the Hyuuga clan as well. During his absence, Naruto's existence had been raised to a nearly legendary level and having him as a relative to the clan or, even better, a member of it would certainly strengthen the Hyuuga.

Yes, Hiashi would give his blessings to Naruto should he choose to pursuit his daughter. He knew Naruto to be a good, trustworthy man, even if he was still a teenager, and a capable shinobi. As both a father and clan leader, Hiashi would welcome Naruto with open arms.

It was another thing that the lunch with the blond would be good for: he would give him the gift he had prepared, formally inform him that he would be welcome at the Hyuuga should he ever need anything, learn more of his abilities and bring him closer to Hinata.

No matter how much she had grown, Hiashi did not give Hanabi much chance in winning Naruto's heart when her opponent was her very own sister.

XXXX

Half an hour later Naruto was sitting at the table with Hiashi and his family, feeling extremely nervous. Hiashi and his wife where sitting on the opposite end of the table, while Hinata and her sister where each sitting at a side.

Neji had told Naruto that the teenage babe he watch fighting was, in fact, no one other then Hinata herself. Needless to say, it didn't help Naruto feeling as nervous as was possible. Still, it hadn't been that bad so far.

Upon entering the room Neji had quickly excused himself, leaving Naruto alone with the Clan Leader and his family, and Naruto had quickly excused himself for appearing in his worn, torn and dirty cloths, and thanked Hiashi for the invitation. Hiashi had replied that he was invited as a guest of the Hyuuga clan and not a political ally, so he wouldn't have to act any different then normal. At least that was one thing Naruto was glad for: acting formal was a lot more difficult without Ero-Sennin around.

But ever since sitting down at the table, Naruto had forced himself to lock his eyes on the table. With Hinata sitting next to him in her shinobi outfit he had little doubt where his eyes would wander. He could feel the strange looks that Hinata was giving him, which didn't help his worries any.

'Oh great, now she's going to think I'm some kind of pervert. My teachers don't exactly help with my reputation…' he desperately thought. However, unknown to Naruto, Hinata and Hanabi where just as nervous as the hyper blond, if not more so.

'Wow, Naruto-san looks really cool like that!' Hanabi thought as she peaked another look at him. She had to stop herself from starring at him, but she couldn't really help it. He just looked so awesome, so cool, so powerful and so… so manly! When she closed her eyes, she thought she could smell him too and he smelled exactly like she had though he would: a small hint of sweat from all his hard work, but for the most part his scent was dominated by the smell of a forest in the early morning, or the Gardens of White in the beginning of spring.

All in all, she couldn't stop herself from inching closer to him every chance she got, while appearing as inconspicuous as possible. Before long she was able to touch him if she would only extend her arm just a little, so she could 'casually' touch his hand when reaching for some of the food on the table. Already her feet where shifting nervously under the table, unsure of where to go, until she bumped into something- or rather, someone. Realizing that her feet had just brushed with Naruto's, Hanabi instantly turned a shade of red that even her sister had rarely managed before quickly pulling her feet back.

'I touched him! I can't believe I touched Naruto-san!' she all but screamed in her head.

On the other end of the table, Hinata wasn't sure what to do. She had met with Naruto-kun again for the first time in years and she had so say he looked better then ever: his hair was a little spikier, he was taller then before and his shoulders and chest where broader then she had imagined. It looked like she could perfectly fit into his arms, being hugged tightly to his chest.

The thought colored Hinata's cheeks a bit red, already quite an advance since three years ago. Back then; she would have resembled a tomato as much as Hanabi was doing now. Hinata was well aware of the crush that Hanabi had on Naruto-kun, but she wasn't sure what to do now: should she try to use Anko-sensei's lessons to make Naruto-kun notice her, or should she let things run their natural course and hope for the best? If she followed Anko-sensei's lessons, she was sure to get Naruto-kun's attention, but he might think about her in the wrong way, that would do more harm then good! But if she let things run their natural course, there could be a repeat of all those years ago when he barely noticed her.

Although she thought that maybe, just maybe, Naruto-kun had noticed her. She had never forgotten that he had saved her life no less then two times in one fight, against Shundei Ikorosu. He had appeared as their – her - savior in their greatest hour of need and had never looked more impressive as he had back then. Hinata could well remember how he was brimming with confidence, how his blue eyes where even brighter then ever before. And how she had been impressed when she saw Naruto-kun fight! No one who had seen it could stop talking about it for half a year, some even more. His incredible actions had earned him a lot of respect, and more then a few of the young girls he had saved had taken a liking to him. And more then that, all the boys had started to look up to him as their newest hero, along with Gaara-san. Hanabi was but one of very, very many young girls that had developed a crush on Naruto and his legend while he was gone.

But, back to the matter at hand, how was she going to win Naruto-kun's heart, without breaking her sister's in the process? Just then, she was hit by a wave of inspiration; Anko-sensei's lessons where a bit much, but one thing she had been sure to teach all her students was not to lay it on too thick, since that would be suspicious. So, she would take her teacher's words to heart and only use the practical application in moderation.

'Come on, Hinata… this is why you took all those extra lessons with Anko-sensei! You can do this; you can do this! Just ask the question! DO IT!'

"Ehm, N-Naruto-kun," she stared, shocking Naruto and Hanabi, both of whom where looking at the table very determined, into looking up. She could have sworn that she saw Naruto's face change color a little bit, but she discarded it as a trick of the light and her imagination.

"W-would you like some tea?" she asked, raising the teakettle she was holding. It took Naruto a few seconds to respond, but finally he muttered a very quick "Y-y-yes please."

Steeling her confidence, gathering her courage and ranting inside her head 'don't stop now, you can do it! Go for it!' over and over again, Hinata slowly leaned forward at the hip to pour some tea for Naruto. While she was pouring the tea, she had to fight with all her will to keep her cheeks from reaching an all-time new record of red-ness; she was giving Naruto a clear peak at her cleavage, just as Anko-sensei had taught her to do, and she was overcome by a heat that had nothing to do with the steaming tea she was pouring. With the cup finally full, Hinata leaned back and placed the kettle back on its place.

'I can't believe I did that!' she mentally shouted, still trying to keep her face near her normal white color. 'I really, really did that! I can't believe it!' a quick peek from the corner of her eye showed her that Naruto was once again forcing his eyes back to the table, but she was sure his eyes shot up towards her once or twice.

Meanwhile, Hiashi and Hinabi where having one of the most amusing lunches they had ever had. Both where trying very hard not to burst out laughing at the antics of the three teenagers.

Naruto had obviously not yet recovered from his encounter with Hinata in the training grounds, and he was desperately trying not to let his eyes wonder. He was, after all, a fifteen year old boy who's hormones where raging inside his body.

Hanabi was apparently caught between being as straightforward as she normally was, and not appearing too pushy in Naruto's eyes. The ten year old girl was experiencing her first ever crush, one that she had carried for nearly three years now, and was desperately attempting to let the person of her affection notice her. But, in that regard, she had a very, very powerful rival in her sister.

As for Hinata, Hiashi was surprised to notice that his daughter used the lessons of Anko in such a way. Surprised, but pleased. Hanabi on the other hand was fuming with rage when her sister poured Naruto a cup of tea and Naruto's eyes where glued to something a little further away then the teakettle.

"Understandable," Hinabi whispered in her husband's ear, "Hinata is doing something that Hanabi can't do yet; she's using her body."

"Yes she is." Hiashi whispered back, "I think it's a good thing for Hinata that she has inherited your figure; that would certainly help her out with making this boy fall in love with her."

"Yes, that's for certain, but give Hanabi a few more years and I'm sure she'll also grow up into a fine young woman." The soft reply was. From there on, Hiashi and Hinabi where silent, simply content with watching the children in front of them act like, well, teenagers.

Finally, when everyone was done eating their lunch and it was all cleaned up by some of the aids from the Branch Family, Hiashi spoke up again.

"Uzumaki-san, I have invited you over for more then mere lunch." He started. Instantly all three teenagers looked at Hiashi, his own two children knowing what was going to happen.

"As I said on the day you left, the Hyuuga clan is in your debt and we have considered you a friend since then. As is our habit to a friend of the Hyuuga clan we would grant you a gift on your birthday as well, but due to your absence these last years, that has not been possible. For that purpose, we have arranged this gift to you: a birthday gift for the years we have missed."

With that, Hiashi quickly clapped his hands and Neji, along with two other Branch family members walked in, carrying something that Naruto would never have expected as a birthday gift.

XxX

Tsunade quietly say down, with Shizune sitting behind her. Sitting in the same room, forming a star-pattern between them, where the four other kage's. Gaara was sitting on her left, by far the youngest in this secret gathering. Behind him stood his brother Kankuro, now fully recovered from his fight with Sasori.

Finally it was the Raikage who spoke up.

"With this, we open for the Second Shadow Council since the foundation of the Five Great Ninja Nations!"

* * *

As always, much thanks to my beta Kushin eX (insert name).

The very first chapter post-timeskip. As you noticed I skipped the saving Gaara arc, because nothing noteworthy happened that's different from canon. And I swear, this is the absolute last thing I'll use from canon. You'll come to understand why I used it later. And i must say that now that i read over this chapter once again, it is HUGE. I'll try to keep this size constant, but i can't make any promises

Please leave me a review telling me what you think. If you're confused about the new outfits for Sakura and Hinata I found the pictures that inspired me on Deviantart (dot)com, so search on it and you'll find them.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto, or it would have been more like this story.

* * *

As the longest serving Kage, with no less then twenty years of ruling his village, the Raikage was the one who opened the meeting. As he always did, the imposing man started it off with a speech

"My fellow Leaders of Men, we have gathered here in a meeting the likes of which have not been held since the very foundation of our nations. In years past, our predecessors gathered here to decide upon the rules of the Shinobi world. It was then, nearly a hundred years ago, that it was decided that Ninja no longer fought for their clans, or their own ideals, but that we would be mercenaries, loyal to no-one but ourselves. For near a century, we have lived by their principles and our nations have flourished for it. But, as is often so, with great prosperity, comes great problems. The problem we face now is as dangerous as can be: the greatest of enemies have gathered under one banner. A banner which predicts a new start, a new ideal, a different Shinobi World; a Banner, that shows the red of a new and bloody dawn." The Raikage took a second to gather his breath, before continuing.

"And so, we have gathered, leaders both old and young, to stand up against them, to protect our dreams, our ideals and our pasts. Five generations have passed since the foundation of our villages, five leaders have come and here we now sit. Let there be no secrets in this meeting; let us stand united against our foes for the first time in history. Let the Shadow Council begin!"

As one, the ten Shinobi gathered sat down. A perfectly round table sat between them, formed out of the ground by the Tsuchikage. The five Kages and their assistants sat and no-one spoke for a while.

"What do we know of our enemy, the Akatsuki, so far?" the Mizukage was the first to break the silence. "To ensure that we are all on the same level of knowledge, I suggest that we share our information on the enemy, before we share information on ourselves."

"A good proposal, Mizukage-dono." The Tsukikage replied. "Do you wish to begin relaying your own Intel, since it is your own suggestion?"

"Very well, Tsuchikage-dono. The information we have is as follows, starting with the basics; Akatsuki is an organization composing of several extremely powerful individuals. Each of their members is able to fight and defeat several Jounin at once, and most of their members can even fight us Kage's on equal ground. Depending on who you ask, some of them might even be stronger then all of us combined. Their total number is estimated to be below ten, but they have had over twenty members in total, many of them killed in battle. They have obviously been around for some time now, but not until a year and a half ago did they move out into the open. Shrouded in secrecy, we know of only four members of Akatsuki, all of whom have made an open appearance at one point. Uchiha Itachi, the traitor from Konoha, Deidara, from Rock, the late Sasori, from Sand, and Hoshigaki Kisame, the Second of our Seven Swordsmen."

Having said her piece, the Mizukage sat down again. Tsunade was the next to stand up.

"Adding to that, I can add the identity of three more members of Akatsuki at this point, though not all their abilities are completely know; Kakuzu, one of their most senior members, his partner Hidan and, finally, the only operative of Akatsuki that works alone, their spy and scout; Kouba Zetsu. Lastly, Orochimaru, also a traitor of Konoha, has been known to be a member of Akatsuki for some time before leaving. Other then that, we have no information about them."

The blond sat down as well, hiding her face in the shadow.

"So now we know of seven of our enemies that still stand, with up to three still unknown. It is as good as it's going to get." The Raikage concluded. "What does anyone know of their goals, for what reason do they seek war?"

"I do not know the reason they seek war, but I am certain that one of their short-term objectives is to obtain several powerful demons in their grasp." The Kazekage suddenly said. "Their main objective in attacking the Sand village some days ago was to obtain the One-tailed Demon, Shukaku. After they had obtained the demon, they showed no more interest in their hostage, despite the amount of leverage it could have."

Gaara left out the fact that he had, in fact, been dead at that point but not everyone needed to know he was running on his second life.

"Yes, we are aware of that fact." The Tsuchikage confirmed. "They have been actively hunting the containers of demons, the so-called Jinchuuriki, for some time now. Already, we have lost several shinobi to Akatsuki because of it."

"I think it is best if we update each other on the state of our Jinchuuriki, along with any other Jinchuuriki we know of, and just how much of them Akatsuki has managed to acquire by now." the Mizukage spoke up. "I believe this information will be vital, should we wish to come up with a plan to counter the Akatsuki."

After a few seconds, all five heads nodded. Again it was the Raikage that spoke up first.

"A sound idea, Mizukage-dono. I shall begin by informing you of the Cloud's Jinchuuriki. We are currently in possession of one Jinchuuriki; a woman who has the Two-Tailed Demon Cat, the Nibi, sealed inside her. She has recently acquired High Jounin status and is one of our finest ninja. Other then that, I have received information which confirms that a village nearby, the Hidden Rain Village, has lost a Jinchuuriki to the Akatsuki some months ago. I have not yet been able to confirm which demon it is, but I believe it to be another of the Tailed Beasts."

"If that is so, Raikage-dono, I fear that the Akatsuki may have already obtained more then half of the Tailed beasts." The Tsukikage added. "Over the past two years, we have lost both of our Jinchuuriki, both jounins, on missions. All the evidence at the scenes points out that they have been captured by the Akatsuki. In doing so, they have obtained the four- and five-tailed demons. And, if my information is correct, they have also obtained the Seven-tails from the Hidden Waterfall."

"And the One-tail they have recently obtained from the Sand makes the total number of Tailed Demons five. And, I am ashamed to admit, we have no other Jinchuuriki left to aid our village in times of need." Gaara added. "Nor do any of the villages in the immediate surroundings have Jinchuuriki nearby. However, recent reports indicate that the Three-Tails has been sighted near our borders. As we speak, a patrol has been sent out to investigate these rumors."

"Well, Konoha, much like the Sand, has only one Jinchuuriki; the carrier of the Nine-Tailed -Demon-Fox. He has recently returned to active duty after being away for nearly three years but still wears the rank of Genin. Despite that, he is one of the few shinobi to have encountered multiple Akatsuki members and still live. I believe that so far he's encountered four of them. Despite the recent skirmish against two of their number, he has safely returned to Konoha and awaits his new mission."

"The same is also true for the Mist." The Mizukage finally added. "We have one Jinchuuriki, but unlike most she does not have a Tailed Beast sealed inside her. Instead, we have managed to seal one of the Four Guardian Beasts inside her. This process has resulted in some interesting changes of her body, but because we have kept her presence secret up until now she still remains of Genin rank and has minimal mission experience. Likewise, hardly anyone knows of her existence. I do, however have some information concerning the Hidden Gras; they have recently suffered significant damage when one of their Jinchuuriki went wild and it was, in the chaos of its struggle, captured by Akatsuki. Although there is little to no information on where, who or how it has been captured. However, it does not appear to be one of the Tailed Beasts, nor a Guardian Beast. I'm still investigating what sort of demon it was, but there's been some trouble identifying it."

"I think I have an idea for fighting Akatsuki, considering the data we have now." the Tsuchikage suddenly spoke up. "I will share my base idea; we may discuss or discard it afterwards"

In silence, all members of the secret meeting leaned forward to listen to the first suggestion on fighting Akatsuki.

XxX

Naruto was staring at a fitting doll, which was his exact height, which was carrying a set of black robes, a near mirror image of the set that Neji was wearing. It had been carried inside by the teenage Jounin and another member of the Branch Family that Naruto didn't know. But now, the unknown member was staring Naruto up and down, measuring the length of his arms and legs, as well as various other measurements.

"Hmm, yes, it seems that our estimations where rather accurate. I will only need to adjust the length of the sleeves a few centimeters and it will do fine." The elder man said as he finished. If you would wait for a few minutes, Young Master, then I will have it done for you to fit right away. Please excuse me a moment." With that, the man turned to leave, only to stop a few steps from the door. Neji had already reached to carry the fitting doll.

"Aah yes, I nearly forgot. Are there any adjustments you wish to make to it? Like, for example, a change in the Shuriken pouch, or perchance a specific adjustment for the robes in some way? I will always be able to adjust it should you so desire, so feel free to ask at a later time as well."

"Aah-um…" Naruto muttered, still unable to form words out of surprise. He quickly composed himself however, before speaking up. "I don't mean to offend you or anyone else, but could you please remove the sleeve for the right-arm? And also the pouch for Shuriken and Kunai, I don't use those anymore."

"Hmm, an odd request, but I will adjust it as you ask." The craftsman replied. "May I ask, however, why you wish the right sleeve to be removed? I see that your current attire also lacks the right sleeve."

"Uhm, well, it has to do with my fighting style. As soon as I enter a fight, I focus chakra into my right arm in a specific way that destroys my sleeve."

"By chakra you say? Most fascinating. But if that is the case, I can assure you that this material shall not be blown away. It is a special variety of silk that is grown by the Aburame Clan. They grow their silkworms by feeding them large quantities of chakra, which results in a rather unique form of silk. Instead of preventing chakra from passing through, like most pieces of cloth do, it instead allows the chakra to pass through it without a problem. This particular set of clothing even absorbs some of the chakra from your body to keep the temperature inside the clothes at a regular and comfortable level. But that aside, I can assure you that you can fight safely and no amount of chakra will tear through the cloth. How else do you think that those Hyuuga who posses the ability to use the Kaiten manage to use it and not end up as naked as the day they where born?"

"Ehm, alright." Naruto said, barely catching what he had been told.

"If there's nothing else, I shall return within a few minutes after a make the final adjustments. Do excuse me." with that, Neji and the tailor disappeared through the door again.

"That was the Hyuuga clan's tailor, Minayo." Hiashi suddenly spoke up. "You must forgive him his manners, but he has always paid more attention to his work then to proper etiquette. I must also admit myself curious, Uzumaki-san, about what you said. You no longer use shuriken or kunai? May I ask as to why?"

"Oh, ehm yea-yes sure." Naruto stuttered. "I no longer use shuriken because I now have other means of attacking from a distance, they're more effective then shuriken. And I don't use kunai anymore because they don't really fit with my fighting style; I prefer fighting with my hands."

"Of course, I understand." Again, silence reigned through the room. Hiashi knew when Naruto had only half-answered his question that the young ninja wanted to keep his techniques secret and he was not going to pry into it. After all, secrets where the foundation of the shinobi world.

"Hanabi, why don't you tell Uzumaki-san about your last mission?" Hinabi suddenly asked her daughter. "Perhaps Uzumaki-san can also give you some advice?"

"Oh, yes mother." the girl said, instantly aware that all eyes where now on her. "In my last mission, a c-rank mission where we had to stand guard over a warehouse a few villages away, we were attacked by a group of thugs, led by two enemy ninja. While Sensei fought the other shinobi off, my team and I were charged with defeating the thugs. We were outnumbered, so we had some problems and eventually my teacher had to step in and help fight, but my teammates where already injured. Kobashi suffered from a concussion and still has regular migraine-attacks due to a strike to his head. The medic said he had almost suffered a skull-fracture. And Ryo broke both of his arms while blocking a strike from one of the thugs. They'll both recover, but won't be returning to active duty for the next three months or so."

"Well, that's really bad. That's the second team that's almost completely out of working order that I hear of. Konohamaru's team was also injured, with Konohamaru being the only one who could return to active duty." Naruto sympathized. "But you weren't injured?"

"Ehm, no I wasn't." the young Hyuuga admitted. "I suffered some minor bruises, but other then that I had no injuries. My specialty lies in Taijutsu, while neither Kobashi nor Ryo are skilled fighters."

"Then, what are they specialized on?"

"Ehm… Kobashi's pretty good at stealth, while Ryo knows quite a lot of Ninjutsu attacks."

Just before Naruto was about to enquire further, however, there was another knock on the door. Without waiting for a response, Minayo walked back in and, in following him, Neji was carrying the fitting doll again.

Ten minutes and a visit to a nearby room later, Naruto was checking himself over. Neji was standing next to him, having helped the blond into the robes, knowing they could prove tricky to dress at first. Naruto was wearing a near mirror-copy of Neji's outfit, the only difference being the black color and lack of skirt-like piece of extra cloth. The sleeves reached just past his wrists, allowing him to hide his hands in them easily, and the baggy pants would allow a lot of movement without problems. It looked a bit odd to Naruto, who was used to always wearing a jacket, but not bad. It would just take some getting used to.

Naruto walked back into the dining room, where Hinata and her family where still waiting, and made a deep bow in gratitude for the gift. When he raised his head again both Hinata and Hanabi where staring at him, their cheeks a bit pink, but Naruto didn't pay it attention. Even he thought he looked a bit odd; how would a girl like Hinata, who he thought looked absolutely gorgeous, think he looked anything other then strange?

"I must say that Minayo has outdone himself once again." Hinabi said after a minute, when it was obvious that her daughters wouldn't be up for a verbal response anytime soon. "They suit you, Uzumaki-san."

"Indeed they do." Hiashi agreed before looking Naruto directly in the eye. "There is something else you must know about those robes though. Aside from our gift for your birthday, these robes also make it apparent to all that you are a friend of the Hyuuga; our gates shall always stay open in welcome to you and should you have a request we shall do everything within our power to see it is done."

Naruto knew what such a promise meant: the Hyuuga where giving him the greatest honor possible, they where promising him safety even if he would be deemed an enemy of the village.

Naruto couldn't respond to the offer, instead bowing to the Clan Leader once again.

XxX

The sun was already setting as Hinata left the mansion. It was something that the Hyuuga heiress was glad for, because she had felt her cheeks burn like mad ever since lunch. Her parents hadn't told her anything about a guest until he was already there. Naruto-kun… he looked so different, so much manlier, then when he had left. And she was greeting him in her ordinary shinobi clothes! If she had known that he was coming, she would have worn something else, something a bit more attractive. That yakuta that she was given for her last birthday would have been perfect. But instead of appearing as beautiful as she possibly could, she had appeared looking like she normally had; dull and unappealing.

But she could easily live with that, after all she had spent years in his presence looking dull and unappealing, but then she had pulled that stunt with the teapot. Even now, hours later, she was still amazed that she had done that. But the biggest shock of all was how Naruto-kun had appeared wearing those black robes. After he walked back in, Hinata could only reach one conclusion.

Naruto looked good in black.

As her thoughts wandered a bit more on Naruto's new appearance, Hinata had already reached her destination. She raised a hand to knock and within a second the door flew open as Yamanka Ino allowed her entry into the house. After a quick greeting to Ino's parents the two teenage girls went to Ino's room, where Tenten and Sakura were already waiting for the girl's night.

But as the blond and bluenette entered the room, they saw the two other Kunoichi roll around on the floor, locked in a wrestling match. Ino joined the mock-fight almost instantly, but Hinata was content simply closing the door and waiting for the others to finish. Finally, after nearly five minutes, Sakura had Tenten and Ino in a headlock, forcing the two other girls to surrender. With the fight over, the girls quickly stood up and sorted out their clothes.

Tenten was wearing an ordinary outfit, since she was of-duty for the evening. Sakura, on the other hand, wore a green outfit that Hinata had never seen before. It showed a very large amount of the pink-haired kunoichi's legs, while looking very sexy at the same time.

"Yeah, we were surprised by Sakura's new outfit as well." Tenten said as she saw Hinata's look. "I never understood how you could possibly feel comfortable with every guy undressing you with his eyes. I prefer practical over seductive every day of the week." None of the girls argued that point. Tenten had been one of the few girls that had pointedly ignored Anko-sensei's lessons, claiming that they where warriors, not prostitutes. Ever since, no-one had brought up the subject again. Tenten didn't try to persuade the other girls to dress normal and none of the girls persuaded Tenten to dress seductively.

"Yeah, but enough about that." Ino nearly squealed as she sat down on her bed. "How was your meeting with Naruto? Tenten already told us he stayed over at your place for lunch. Neji told her all about it."

So, sitting down on one of the cushions placed on the ground, Hinata began to tell of her eventful lunch. Knowing that what she said would never leave these four walls, she even managed to tell the other three kunoichi about what she did when pouring Naruto some tea. When she was done talking, all three girls were staring at her with very big eyes.

"Oh…" Sakura began

"My…" Ino continued.

"God..." Tenten finished.

"I can't believe you did that! I'm so proud of you!" Ino yelled as she hugged Hinata. "So, how did he react? I bet he couldn't take his eyes off of you right?"

"That was pretty bold of you, Hinata. But man, you have some courage to do that…" Tenten admitted. "But now I'm curious, how _did_ he react?"

"Ehm, nothing really…" the blue-haired teenager quietly said. "He was staring at the lunch-table all the time, unless my parents or Hanabi where talking to him. And as soon as the conversation was over he'd return his gaze to the table again. It was almost like he was purposely not looking at me…"

As Hinata spoke of her doubts, the entire room was suddenly silent. It wasn't until Sakura spoke up that any of the girls even moved.

"You said he purposely didn't look at you?" she asked, a small grin on her face. When Hinata nodded, she continued. "And where there a couple of times when his head, or at least his eyes, where going your way before he jerked them back?"

Another nod caused Sakura's grin to grow.

"Then it's simple." The pink-haired medic said. At once the other kunoichi turned towards the Naruto-authority. "He didn't want to be rude and get caught staring. If there's one thing Naruto always hated it's a pervert, even though he's not too innocent himself. He was probably worried that once he let his eyes wander, he wouldn't be able to pull them back."

"Well of course." Ino suddenly said as she grabbed Hinata from behind and boldly cupped her breasts. "There's no way that blockhead will be able to ignore _these_ after you gave him an eyeful!"

XxX

Two days after she had left, Tsunade finally returned to her office. The Shadow Council had taken that long before a plan of action was decided. In the end, it had been the plan of the Tsuchikage that had been accepted, although there had been some adjustments to his original plan. Now, the Slug Princess was sitting in her chair, rubbing her temples in exhaustion as she wanted to go to sleep. But if she did that the amount of paperwork would increase even more, so it was best she did this now.

Just as she was reaching out to the first paper, she pulled her hand back.

"Jiraiya, you show your ass right now or I'm going to use you for stress relieve!" she threatened. At once a tile of the ceiling was lifted as the white-haired Sennin showed himself. In a fluid move he dropped himself from the ceiling, spun around in mid-air and landed on his feet to face his old teammate.

"Wow, what's gotten you so worked up? You're kinda snappy."

"I haven't been able to sleep in almost seventy-two hours, I'm hungry, I just got out of a two-day meeting and I haven't had a drop of sake in near two-weeks. So I think I'm well within my rights to be cranky!" the Fifth Hokage snapped.

Instantly the Master-Pervert raised his hands in a weak defense.

"Sorry, but I was interested in knowing what had happened in the meeting and what ideas you guys came up with."

"I'll tell you later, but right now I have a mission for you. It's part of our plan to defeat Akatsuki." Tsunade said as she sank into her chair.

"Well then, start talking." Jiraiya responded; his interest now peaked.

"No, I won't just yet." Tsunade replied, an evil grin on her face. "I'll keep you in the dark a little longer; it's your just reward for trying to peek on me as soon as I get back."

"But I didn't-" Jiraiya began.

"Whatever, just go and pick up Naruto and then both of you report to my office."

Knowing that Tsunade wouldn't give any more information until she wanted too, Jiraiya turned around to leave the office.

"Oh and Jiraiya," Tsunade started, her voice so sugary and sweet that Jiraiya knew something nasty was coming next, "Get ready to act as a Jounin Sensei again, that's your next mission."

XxX

Naruto, dressed in his new robes again, was strolling through Konoha, still taking it easy after his extensive lunch at Ichiraku's. Two days had passed since he had been given the black outfit and he was finally getting used to seeing himself in the mirror dressed in those robes. Accepting the new outfit wasn't too difficult, especially when everyone he knew complimented him on his appearance. Ayame and Old Man Ichiraku had said that the black suited him, while Sakura thought the robes looked pretty fancy on him. But then, she had looked pretty good in that green outfit as well…

Naruto's thoughts where stopped before they could become too perverted by a sudden loud sound behind him. Quickly turning around, Naruto was in for the surprise of his life. Someone was running down the street, with a small army of little kids running behind him. Taking a second glance, Naruto was able to recognize the blue-clad leader of the group as none other then Rock Lee.

But his appearance had changed drastically since the two teenagers had split, two days ago. In place of the green skintight outfit, Lee now wore a _blue_ skintight outfit, complete with blue boots and gloves. There was a red line on the gloves and boots, near his wrists and calves, and he now wore a flaming red boxer short _over_ his leotard. To compliment the outfit, Lee was also donning a bright blue cape, attached with a single button to his chest, and a mask in the same color.

Naruto opened his mouth to ask what Lee was doing, dressed like that, but before he had a chance, the taijutsu-specialist started yelling.

"Behold children! The mortal enemy of Kappaman has revealed himself at last! Give me your support and through your love and the power of justice I shall defeat this evildoer!" While talking completely over the top, even for Lee, the children all started cheering like mad. Naruto could barely register that none of those kids could be any older then six, before Lee tackled him to the ground.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, but I've been hired to act as a superhero at a children's party." Lee whispered as the two where rolling around on the floor. "They wanted me to fight my evil nemesis, so I had to choose someone. Could you please help out?"

"GET OFF ME, YOU FREAK!" Naruto shouted in return, roughly pushing Lee, now under the codename of Kappaman, away from him. In the same move, he gave a quick nod to his friend before speaking up as well, easily matching Lee's over-the-top acting.

"Now, you will bow before me Kappaman! Know that you can never defeat the great…"

'Wait, what am I going to call myself?' Naruto suddenly thought.

"The Great Foxster!" and with that, the blond enthusiastically threw himself at Konoha's azure beast. Within seconds, the two were rolling around on the ground in mock battle, pushing and shoving each other more then actual hitting.

Standing a small distance away, the group of children where loudly cheering, completely absorbed in the fight. They didn't notice the group of teenage guys walking up to them from behind, until one of them spoke.

"What is going on over there? Why are Lee and Naruto wrestling with each other?" Shikamaru asked his friends in surprise. It was Neji, who had met up with the others a minute ago and went to investigate the origin of the loud cheering, who answered.

"Lee had a new mission today. He was going to be an entertainer at a children's birthday party. He's been looking forward to it for weeks."

"And it looks like Naruto simply joined in." Chouji concluded; his hands in his pocket. "The kids seem to love it though."

"Oh hey guys, how're you doing?" Naruto asked, moving his attention away from Lee for a second. That proved to be a mistake, because the blue-clad 'superhero' quickly grabbed Naruto in a hold now that his attention had slipped. "Could you give me some help? He's kinda absorbed in this…" Naruto begged, seeing how Lee was quickly tightening his hold, almost choking the blond.

Shino, Chouji, Neji and Shikamaru looked at each other before collectively shaking their heads in the negative. There was no way they were going to roll around in the dirt for the amusement of some kids…

"Alright, YOU'RE ON!"

Without a second's doubt, Kiba and Akamaru jumped over the kids and charged straight into Lee. Unable to prepare himself for the impact, Lee was instantly knocked off Naruto. Before 'Foxster' could get up though, Akamaru landed on top of him.

"Hahaha, bow before the undefeatable Doctor Dog and Fangor!" Kiba shouted, joining in the wrestling match, before engaging Lee once again. From his position underneath the surprisingly large canine, Naruto could get a good view of Kiba, Shino and Chouji.

Chouji wore a long red shirt, which had pieces of armor attached to his chest, arms and the sides of his legs. Beneath the shirt, he wore the standard black shinobi pants, complete with the shuriken holster and black sandals. His forehead protector, also attached on a red cloth, was attached on his forehead. Without the cap that covered his hair, it was now free to fall between his shoulder blades.

Kiba, much like Chouji, wore a chest plate to protect him. However, unlike the metal armor that Chouji wore, Kiba had a piece of hardened leather tied to his chest. He still wore the standard black pants, sandals and shuriken holster, but there was one thing that seriously stood out about the Inuzuka. He had traded in his old jacket, but in its place he wore what looked like the skin of a very large, obviously demonic wolf. Its head was placed so that Kiba could easily wear it as a hood, with its jaw emptied out so Kiba could place his head in it. The coat, unlike the old jacket, reached past his hips and ended at the height of his knees. All in all, it was a very impressing look, making the teenager look like a wolf or a dog from a distance.

Shino, unlike any of the others, hadn't changed his outfit all that much. He still wore his sunglasses, the black pants and black sandals, and even a long grey coat. Now, however, he held the coat open, with a hood to cover his hair. It now allowed Naruto to see Shino's face, along with the plain white shirt beneath the coat, while keeping his hair a secret to the world.

Unable to continue observing, due to Akamaru's tail now hitting him in the face, Naruto began to struggle to get the dog off him. After a couple seconds, he finally succeeded, under loud cheering from the kids, to get back up. In another second, he jumped to Kiba, who had pounded Lee in a way similar to what Akamaru had done to the blond.

Standing at the sidelines, Chouji, Shikamaru, Shino and Neji didn't do anything, but they where far too embarrassed by the antics of their friends. For the entire duration of the 'fight,' all ten minutes of it, they simply stood and watched. Finally, the children were called back by a woman's voice, telling them to come back for some food. After a quick 'thank you' for their help, Lee followed them, his costume damaged and dirtied from the struggle.

"Hey, that was pretty fun." Naruto said, still lying on his back, next to Kiba. The next instant, the sky was suddenly darkened as Akamaru jumped on the two boys.

"KIBA! GET THAT DOG OFF ME!" Naruto shouted as soon as he'd regained some of his breath. "He's crushing me!"

"What's the matter moron?" Kiba taunted back. "Don't have the abs to carry some weight?" The sneer on his face was ruined, however, because Akamaru gave a big lick on the face of his master.

"Honestly, will you guys behave already?" Shikamaru asked in his usual annoyed tone. "Anyway, Kiba we should get going. We have to report to the Hokage for our new mission."

"Alright, alright." Kiba said as he got up. "Geese, don't act so high-and-mighty, you're not the team leader yet."

"Oh yeah, speaking of the Hokage…" Naruto began. "How's the Old Man doing? I haven't heard or seen anything from him yet."

For a second, the five teenagers looked at each other, but it was finally Shikamaru that spoke first.

"Ehm, you won't hear anything from the Third, no matter how long you wait." The Nara finally said. "The Third Hokage was killed in action a year ago."

XxX

An hour later, Naruto found himself staring at the Honorstone. Specifically, he was looking at the top row, containing only four names, written in the order that they had died.

Senju Hashirama, the founder of Konoha, its first leader and the man who had grown the massive forest that protected the village. Also Tsunade's grandfather and a man who loved money.

Senju Tobirama, brother to Hashirama, the second man to lead the village and by use of his prowess with water ninjutsu had created the lake that allowed Konoha to survive without problems. The lake where Naruto, less then three years ago, had fought one of the most intense battles of his life.

Namikaze Minato, the youngest Hokage, one of the greatest geniuses in the history of Konoha and the man who had given Naruto his greatest curse and blessing; the Kyuubi.

Finally, after the name of the fourth, came the name that Naruto was looking at.

Sarutobi Shibata. The Third Hokage, once called 'The Professor,' the strongest ninja in the history of Konoha. But none of that was of any importance to Naruto, he had always known him as the Old Man. Someone who, more then anyone else, had taken care of him, who had almost been like a grandfather to him…

For almost half an hour now, Naruto had been doing nothing but staring, puzzling how it could have happened. How on earth could the old man, who had retired a long time ago, be killed on a mission? He had survived a battle with Orochimaru, fought more battles then any other shinobi in Konoha. How could he have been killed?

"Surprising isn't it? A man his age dying in the line of duty." A voice suddenly said from behind Naruto. Turning around, surprised that he hadn't noticed anyone coming closer, Naruto saw Sarutobi Asuma standing behind him, a cigarette in his mouth as always. The jounin walked closer, standing next to the blond genin.

"His life was already over, even before he took that mission." Asuma suddenly said. Naruto looked up to the older man, surprise on his face.

"The fight with Orochimaru had already overstrained his body; he wouldn't have lived any longer then four years." He continued. "But he had always lived as a shinobi. He once told me that, above all else, he wanted to die like a shinobi. He wasn't searching for death, he didn't fear it at all, but he never wanted to die in bed. That's probably why he asked for one last mission, even though it was almost impossible to come back alive."

"Why would he want to die? He could have simply lived out his life; he wouldn't have died…" Naruto said, holding back some tears.

"We all die." Asuma softly said. "But for a shinobi, life is on the battlefield. It's only natural that our death should also be on the battlefield. More then anything, he didn't want to be remembered as 'the Hokage that died in his sleep.' Because people will always remember a person by how he died."

"We would have remembered him as who he was. He did so much for me… for all of Konoha." Naruto counter-argued.

"Yes, we'll remember him as we knew him, but the history books will only remember how someone died. That also holds true for anyone else in our generation, as long as they didn't know him."

For once, Naruto didn't know what to say back.

"But even at his age, Dad almost completed his mission." Asuma continued. "His mission was to infiltrate an enemy base and destroy all the missing-nin gathered there. He fought and killed almost all of them. Only three ninja remained, two jounins and a chuunin, but they were quickly killed by the ANBU that had served as his backup. Even at seventy-two years old, he fought and killed over twelve enemy ninja's. He almost completed a S-rank mission on his own."

"Then he really died like he had deserved." Another voice suddenly said from behind them. Jiraiya had apparently walked up to them as well, listening to Asuma's story.

For a few minutes, none of the three men said anything. Finally, it was Jiraiya who spoke up.

"Naruto, let's go. We have to report to Tsunade; we have a new mission."

With a final look at the name of the old man who had first shown Naruto kindness, the blond turned around and followed his master.

XxX

Another two hours later, Naruto and Jiraiya were standing in front of Tsunade and Shizune, waiting for their new mission. The busty blond, still looking thoroughly grumpy, was staring at the other two over her hands. After a few minutes of waiting, in which both Jiraiya and Naruto were starting to become very nervous, she finally spoke up.

"As Jiraiya already told you, I have a new mission for you." she said, her tone very heavy. "It's a B rank mission and, should you complete it satisfactory, you'll get promoted to Chuunin as well."

The sound of a possible promotion perked Naruto right up. He stood a little straighter, eager for more information.

"Your mission," Tsunade finally said, "is to participate in the Chuunin Exams in the Hidden Rock!"

* * *

And finally the reason why I haven't promoted Naruto yet…

Concerning the often asked question about Hinata's mother: for as far as I know, it's never been stated that Hinata's mother died. Then again, we have very little insight in the Hyuuga family at all. Because of that, I decided to keep Hinata's mother alive and use her in this fic, although her role will be small.

And I know that in canon it's said that a chuunin exam is going to be held, but it's never specified WHERE it'll be. In my story, I want it to be in Hidden Rock, for reasons that'll be shown later on in the story…

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review telling me what you think.

As always, thanks to my Beta, Kushin eX

Lucifer-Allheart


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing! Otherwise, Naruto wouldn't be oblivious to Hinata's affection for him.

* * *

"Your mission is to participate in the Chuunin Exams in the Hidden Rock!"

After the words left Tsunade's mouth, silence reigned for a second before Naruto started jumping around.

"Woohoo, I'm going to be a chuunin, I'm going to be a chuunin!" he suddenly started singing while bouncing. The already tired and annoyed Tsunade was having difficulty stopping herself from punching the hyperactive teenager's lights out, but was saved from further effort when Naruto stopped bouncing and, attached to the ceiling, suddenly asked her something.

"Wait, why is going to the Chuunin Exam a B rank mission? And who're going to be my teammates?" he then paused for a second, before looking at Jiraiya and asking a third question. "And should I use my real name, or the name that they know me by?"

At that last question, Tsunade raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

'The Hidden Rock knows Naruto under a different name? You're going to have to tell me about that…'

"To answer your first two questions:" the Hokage spoke up, "you will have an ulterior purpose by attending the Chuunin Exam, but it partly depends on you not knowing what that purpose is. You'll hear it in due time, but not now. And don't even think about trying to figure it out on your own!" she quickly added as she saw Naruto's look.

"Ok, ok, if you say so… still sounds odd though. So anyway, who're my teammates?" Naruto replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"They should be downstairs by now, Shizune could you go and pick them up?" at the request of her teacher, Shizune excused herself and left the office to pick up Naruto's new teammates. A few seconds after the black-haired medic had left, Tsunade decided to ask her question.

"Hey Naruto," she started as the younger blond detected himself from the ceiling and landed back on his feet, "just now you said that the Hidden Rock already knows you under a different name. Would you care to explain why and what that name is?"

"Oh right, I didn't tell you yet did I Granny?" Naruto cheerfully replied. Again, Tsunade felt her eyes twitch at the hated nickname. "See, when we were traveling, Ero-Sennin said I shouldn't wear my forehead protector because it would give us away and might get us into trouble. He also said I had to change my name, because my name would also get us in trouble. We couldn't really think of anything, but when we were in one of the smaller villages, one of the villagers saw part of my training and he was really impressed. See, I was trying to work on one of my new techniques, a really, really cool and strong one, and he saw it and then he said it looked like a tempest. I liked it, so I decided to stick with the name 'Tempest.' So now, I'm known by that name in just about every village on this continent, as well as most cities on the other continents." The blond finished in one long breath.

"You changed your name to hide your identity, but you still became well known in the other villages? Wouldn't that kind of ruin the point of changing your name?" Tsunade inquired.

"Well, I'm not really well-known or anything, but most of the kids in the villages know me as Tempest because I always played with them, and on the other continents, my teachers, training pals and whatnot know me as Tempest."

At that moment; just as Tsunade was going to scold Naruto on becoming well-known to children, who would babble everything to their parents and thus the enemy ninjas, there was a knock on the door as Shizune walked in. following behind her, looking smaller then ever because of the company they were meeting, followed Naruto's new teammates. Five years his junior and graduated from the academy for just over four months ago, Sarutobi Konohamaru and Hyuuga Hanabi were looking around extremely nervous.

'Perfect, this'll go even better then I'd have hoped.' Tsunade silently mused. "Alright, Konohamaru and Hanabi, have you been informed of your mission yet?"

Both kids shook their heads in the negative. Tsunade quickly informed them of their mission.

"You two, together with Uzumaki Naruto, will form a new 3-man team and participate in the Chuunin Exams that are being held at Hidden Rock a month from now. But for the next two weeks, the three of you will be doing D-rank missions as well as train together. Afterwards, you will be getting one week of spare time to prepare yourself for the exam, and in three weeks time you'll leave for Hidden Rock. You're team captain and teacher will by Jiraiya. Any questions?"

Neither of the young children looked like they'd ask any questions anytime soon. They were too stunned at hearing the news. They'd be in a team with Naruto, who Tsunade knew they all looked up too, and being led by the living legend known as Jiraiya…

"Yeah, why am I stuck doing stupid D-rank missions again!" Naruto loudly complained. At once, Jiraiya's fist made hard contact with the back of Naruto's skull, something Tsunade wished to do as well.

"You moron!" the toad-sage insulted his student. "The Hokage says you'll do D-rank missions, so you'll do D-rank missions. And think for a second, you have to operate as a team in the Chuunin Exams. You're a newly assembled squad, so you'll have to learn some teamwork! Now don't ask stupid questions and LET'S GO!" With that, Jiraiya turned and, dragging Naruto by his heels, exited the room. Konohamaru and Hanabi nervously followed the pair.

Ten minutes later, the new team was sitting at Ichiraku's, Naruto already devouring an extra-large bowl of ramen, as Jiraiya started the round of introductions.

"Ok, since we're a new team we'll start with a round of basic introductions." He started, drawing the attention of the others. "What I'd like to know is your names, personal specialties and preferences in fighting, you're strengths and weaknesses and how you prefer to learn new stuff. I'll go first." Taking a sip of his drink, Jiraiya spoke up again.

"As you know, my name's Jiraiya. My specialty is information gathering and stealth, I prefer to use my summoning technique to reduce my chances of getting injured in a fight and give myself more chances of studying my opponents. My greatest strength in battle is my Toad-style Ninjutsu, of which I'm pretty much the only user in the world. My greatest weakness is that I can't stand to fight a beautiful woman. Aside from that, I'm not too good with Genjutsu but I have my ways around it. I prefer to learn by knowing a lot of the theory behind what it is I'm doing and then experimenting with it. Any questions?"

Naruto, who didn't even stop to listen because he already knew everything, simply drained his bowl he was eating before shaking no. neither Konohamaru or Hanabi looked like they would be up for conversation anytime soon either.

"I'll go next then. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, I prefer fighting up close and personal, I specialize in close-range combat, using my Shadow Clones to distract and overwhelm my enemies and strike them with my strongest attacks when they're distracted. My greatest strengths are my massive chakra reserves and my right arm, which is much more powerful and flexible then a normal arm. My greatest weakness is the extreme sensitivity of that same arm. And I learn best by doing whatever I'm supposed to learn." As soon as Naruto was finished, he poked Konohamaru in the side, indicating that the boy had to go next.

"Ehm, right well, ehm I'm Komohanura Suratebi- ehm I mean Sarutobi Konohamaru, and I specialize in using my staff in close combat. I prefer to use my staff, ehm I mean I prefer to fight at close range where I can still keep an eye on my opponent… My greatest strength is… wait, what's my greatest strength?" taking a few seconds to think, the nervous boy answered. "My greatest strength is my combination of staff-fighting and body-fighting, along with the special ability of my bo-staff. My greatest weakness is, ehm, lemme think for a second… ah yeah, I can't really attack at a distance. That's about it I think. Oh yeah, and I also like to learn by trying for myself."

Finally, Hanabi stood up and, much more collected then Konohamaru, started to introduce herself. "My name is Hyuuga Hanabi, I'm a close-range combat specialist and I use my Byakugan in combination with my Jyuuken to quickly and easily dispose of my opponents. My greatest strengths are my Byakugan, my Jyuuken and the swiftness of my movements. Like Konohamaru, my greatest weakness is that I lack effective long-range attacks. And I prefer to learn by asking questions and knowing the theory."

"Very good, very good" Jiraiya answered, storing away the information for a later date. "Now, I want all of you to meet me tomorrow morning at seven. We'll get in some minor training to build up your teamwork then do a few missions and some more training. We'll continue that for the next few days. See you tomorrow." With that, Jiraiya poof-ed away, leaving Naruto to pay for the bill at Ichiraku's.

"Oh, man I hate it when he does that!" Naruto loudly complained as he paid Ayame who was grinning. "So, I'll see you two tomorrow then?" the blond asked as he stood up. "I'm going to go and clean up my house and do some grocery shopping. It really needs a good scrub." Naruto turned around and left before suddenly stopping. He looked over his shoulder at Hanabi, seemingly thinking over something.

"Oh yeah, Hanabi." He said, startling the Hyuuga. "When we leave for Hidden Rock, I think you should keep your eyes hidden at all times, maybe wear your forehead protector to cover them or something. It'll keep you from being identified as a Hyuuga and being singled out as a target." Not waiting for an answer, Naruto jumped off and disappeared.

XxX

As soon as the sun rose, Takami Sessha was awake and got out of her bed. She had arrived in the early hours of the morning from her meeting and gotten about four hours of sleep. Less then she would have preferred, but it would be more then enough to keep her sharp for the day

'After all, I can't fall asleep while I'm at work, now can I? I'd wake up with a dagger in my back for sure.'

Less then twenty minutes later, Sessha had bathed and dressed herself in the traditional Mizukage robes as she set for her office. She had actually arrived an hour before the missions would be handed out, but it was time she would definitely need to inform the Jinchuuriki about her new mission.

"You," she barked at one of her five chuunin assistants, "go down to the fifth experimental lab and tell them I want to see Izayoi right away!"

"At once: Mizukage-sama." The assistant said as he poof-ed away.

'He'll be back in a few minutes, along with Izayoi. Now, who am I going to team her up with? They'll need to be capable ninja who will impress the other nations as well. This team is almost guarantied a place in the final exam, so they'll have to show off their combat ability to earn the Mist a good reputation and lots of income.' She thought to herself as she went over the files for potential genin. In three minutes time, she had already selected several individuals that would show of the Mist's combat abilities best. 'Ah, yes, I think these two would do just fine.'

As Sessha placed the other files back in the large drawer labeled 'possible chuunin candidates' there was a knock on the door. After receiving an invitation to come in, the assistant that she'd send of walked through the door, followed by a young woman. With a wave of her hand, Sessha dismissed her assistant, leaving her alone with the Jinchuuriki.

For the first time in nearly five years, Sessha looked over the teenage girl that had been kept as the village's special and hidden weapon. The girl, as she had been trained to do, didn't show any emotion whatsoever while she waited to hear her orders.

Her face would have been pretty, if she would have been able to show emotion at all. Now though it more of a mask then an actual face. She wasn't very tall, but she wasn't short either. Her black hair fell down her back and front, like a curtain, reaching all the way to her knees. Such long hair would normally be impractical to a shinobi, but with this girl it served the purpose of hiding one of the side-effects of being a Jinchuuriki; it hid her abomination from sight. Her clothing, on the other hand, was very practical. She didn't even bother with any sort of sex appeal, since the deadpan look on her face would ruin the chances anyway, instead going for a single-piece, black combat suit.

The outfit covered her legs completely, being slightly baggy to allow maximum movement, and then continued on to her upper body. It was tied around the waist with a piece of white cloth, which only served as decoration and hiding several medical supplies like painkillers. While her legs were covered completely, the outfit split up above the waist, giving a clear view of her cleavage, and gathered again above her shoulders. It didn't cover her back, because that would only get in the way due to her abomination, but it was good enough. The only reason that the outfit showed some of the girl's cleavage, small as it was, was because it was a known fact that men could easily be distracted by some bouncing boobs.

"Have you been informed of your mission?" the Mizukage asked the emotionless girl standing before her, not even rising from her seat. Izayoi didn't answer, instead shaking her head in the negative.

"Thought so," Sessha said, leaning back in her chair. "You will participate in the chuunin exam held at Hidden Rock a month from now. The exam will be rigged so there is no chance that your team will fail the first test and will have a substantial advantage in clearing the second. From there on, you will participate in the final exams, demonstrate your combat ability and possibly be promoted to Chuunin rank." She let a small silence reign, and Izayoi gave a nod with her head.

"All of that, however, is nothing but a set-up." Sessha continued. "You, along with several other Jinchuuriki from other villages will gather at the final exam to serve as bait for Akatsuki. Have you ever heard that name before?"

Again she shook her head in the negative.

"They're a powerful group of S-rank enemies that attempt to capture any and all demons as far as we know. You and the others will serve as bait to lure them in. For the next two weeks, you will be doing more extensive training then before, focusing mostly on using as much of your special powers as you can. You will meet with your teammates three days before departing to the exam. I will have a copy of their files send to you later today. It is most important that during the exam, you reveal as many of your special abilities as possible so you will draw attention to yourself, Dismissed."

Izayoi bowed at the hip, raised herself up again and quickly left the office. Sessha took a deep breath before thinking about which of the specialized teachers would be best to help with this particular type of training.

XxX

Tsunade walked out of her bathroom, wearing a bathrobe, and proceeded into her kitchen. She didn't even make a notice of Jiraiya sitting in her living room, and he in turn didn't make any remarks towards her either. She grabbed a cold bottle of sake and, holding a cup in her other hand, walked back to the table.

"So, what'd you want to know?" Tsunade asked as she sat down. Crossing her legs and filling the cup with sake.

"Why don't I get any sake?" Jiraiya replied in a light and joking tone.

"This is for you." Tsunade said as she handed him the cup. "And it's all the sake you're going to get, the rest is mine." To prove her point, she placed the bottle at her lips and took a large gulp. "Now get to some more serious business."

Jiraiya muttered an obvious "cheapskate" under his breath before placing the cup on the table and looking his old teammate in the eye. "What's the real purpose of sending Naruto to the chuunin exams and why have you send him with two rookies that are too green to know that a team has to work on equal grounds, not hero-worshipping one of them?"

"Interesting questions and you'll like the answers I'm going to give." Tsunade replied as she took another mouthful of sake. "The first one is easy: It's one of the plans we've hatched at the Shadow Council. We're going to place all our strongest Jinchuuriki in one place and then lure Akatsuki in. That's the basic idea of it. Of course, Naruto is famous enough that his name will draw attention already, but we should still have him use as much of his demonic chakra as possible; it'll draw that much more attention to him and right now, that's what we want."

"Somehow I doubt Akatsuki is just going to waltz into an enemy village when there are that many powerful shinobi gathering." Jiraiya said. "What'll you do when they don't show up?"

"We've got it all taken care of, Jiraiya, but I'll tell you that some other time… serves you right for peeking at me this morning."

"For the last time Tsunade, I wasn't peeking! But whatever, I'll hear about it later. And my second question?"

"That's for more internal reasons then anything else." Tsunade replied. She placed the sake bottle down, never a good sign, and leaned forward a bit. "Didn't you think it was odd that Naruto wasn't promoted three years ago after his fight with Gaara? He obviously showed combat ability and jutsu-usage that was above genin level, but still the council of judges decided against promoting him. Do you know why?"

"Because he has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him." Jiraiya immediately answered. "They want to keep control over him as much as they can."

"Precisely," Tsunade said, pointing her finger to prove her point. "As Hokage I have some power of their decision, but I can't outright change it. So, as long as the exam is held at Konoha or Sand, which is still in debt to us, Naruto would never be promoted. The Council of Judges of the Fire Nation simply won't allow it and they have far too much influence in both the Nation of Fire and the Nation of Wind. But, what do you think would happen if Naruto manages to impress a foreign Council of Judges: one that the Fire Council can't intimidate or ignore? Let's say, for example, the Council of Judges of the Nation of Earth?"

Realization dawned on Jiraiya's features as he spoke up again.

"They'd have to promote him or risk insulting a powerful nation. In the worst case scenario, it'd be another Shinobi War…"

"Exactly, But, if I gave Naruto some skilled teammates, they could brush it off as Naruto only being able to make it to the final exam because of his teammates and use that as an excuse to stop his promotion. But everyone can see that Naruto's teammates aren't ready to take the exam yet, so Naruto will actually be performing the exam on his own, with two pieces of dead weight behind him. The Council will have no excuses to make and he'll get promoted for sure."

"An interesting idea, very well thought off…" Jiraiya thought, his chin placed on his folded hands as he looked Tsunade in the eyes. "But, why those two?" he asked after a second. "They worship him as if he were their personal god…"

"Various reasons," Tsunade said as she leaned back and grabbed the bottle again. "Their teammates are injured so they're available, they're obviously incapable of completing the exam on their own, despite their big family names, and their teachers have informed me that lately they've been getting too arrogant. They both graduated top of the class and have been far above their teammates in training. This should give them a good suggestion on what the Shinobi world is really all about and just how weak they still are. There are hardly any downsides to this."

"Yes, except of course, that they could very well die during the exam." Said Jiraiya darkly.

"Yeah, well, that's why I placed them on Naruto's team." Tsunade replied with a laugh, "He's there to make sure they come back home safe, sound and a lot more mature."

XxX

A mere week after they had been assigned to their new team, both Konohamaru and Hanabi had trouble walking home. The training regimen that Jiraiya-sensei, as he had ordered them to call him, put them through was pure murder! Everyday they woke up at seven, trained for an hour and a half before they had breakfast together then did no less then three missions each day, while they were used to a rate of one or only two missions a day, and after they were done, they ate dinner together before going on for _more_ training!

Right now, the two of them were sitting against a lodge, while they watched Naruto continue a sparring match with several of his Shadow Clones as Jiraiya shouted orders and corrections every now and then.

"How can he still go on that much?" Konohamaru asked himself in wonder and awe.

"I don't know." Hanabi replied from next to him. "But you have got to admit, he really is amazing."

Those words, along with the look that Hanabi was giving Naruto, suddenly made Konohamaru feel very uncomfortable. There was an annoying feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't anything like what he'd feel if he was hungry, or needed to use the bathroom.

'What's going on? Why am I feeling this uncomfortable because of what Hanabi-chan is saying?'

XxX

Konohamaru was awoken much earlier then he would have liked. For the past month, excepting the three days that Jiraiya-sensei had given them off to recover before they left, Konohamaru had been getting up at half past six, instead of the normal half past seven that he was used to. But now, Naruto-nii-chan was waking him up at the first crack of dawn! They had left two days ago and were near the border with Hidden Rock.

Jiraiya-sensei had ordered them to rest up as much as they could since they would leave early the next morning. Being the hyperactive person he was, Konohamaru hadn't been able to sleep until it was nearly midnight. And now, he was paying for his own stupidity. Next to him, Hanabi didn't look much better either. On the other hand, neither Jiraiya nor Naruto even looked remotely tired, which was odd to Konohamaru. They had gone to sleep the latest, with Jiraiya taking the last guard so he had been up for some hours already, and they were awake the soonest. And, more then that, they had also set the pace the group was moving at, by being in the lead. The pace that that had forced Konohamaru to move so fast that his entire body was burning and stinging, and he had difficulty breathing. Hanabi wasn't doing much better, but Jiraiya and Naruto had been happily chatting while running and jumping.

Two and a half hour later Team 14, as they had been dubbed, was well over the border of the Hidden Rock. Konohamaru, now fully awake, was eating a few berries as he jumped from tree to tree. They would be leaving this forest area in about an hour according to Naruto-nii-chan and they would only stop at the edge of the forest to eat some breakfast. Next to him, keeping up with his pace perfectly, Hanabi was doing the same.

All of a sudden, some ten meters ahead of them, both Jiraiya and Naruto looked up and, after sharing a look with each other, changed their speeds. Jiraiya sped up and almost instantly disappeared from their sights, while Naruto slowed down and fell in pace with the other two.

"Stop eating and prepare yourselves." He said in a whisper, his eyes focused on a location somewhere to their left. "Hanabi, cover your eyes with your forehead protector and don't take it off until I tell you to. Konohamaru, stay on guard but don't act to different from normal. There's another squad approaching us from the left, they're still about a hundred or so meters away. They should meet up with us in a few minutes. Get ready for it, but wait for my signal. Ero-Sennin has gone on ahead to set up a trap and he'll provide back-up should we need it. Just stay calm and we'll make it through this."

Two very nervous nods followed his commands as the two threw their berries way at once. Hanabi nervously pulled up her forehead protector to cover her eyes and activated her Byakugan. On Naruto's other side, Konohamaru quickly checked to see if his enhanced Bo staff wasn't obstructed, then placed his hands next to his body again. Already, his palms were sweaty and his entire body was on edge from his nerves.

Barely two minutes had passed after Naruto had warned them when he could feel the familiar effects of a Genjutsu creeping up on him. At once, the blond genin stopped and formed the Ram seal.

"Hiyaah!" he shouted as he released a large wave of chakra, dispelling the genjutsu with ease. It was nowhere near the level of genjutsu that some of his other opponents had used on him.

The genjutsu now dispelled, two Ninja who looked like they were in their late teens were easily spotted. In the split second he had to observe them, Naruto could see that their forehead protectors carried the symbol of the Hidden Mist. They were standing spread apart, too far away for Naruto to attack them both at the same time, and both were carrying a weapon. The one on his left, a girl, was wearing what looked like a glove with twenty centimeter long blades on her right hand, while the male on his right was simply holding two kunai.

Before Naruto could choose his opponent, two figures blurred past him as his teammates engaged the mist ninja in combat.

'Damnit, I didn't give them the order to attack yet.' Naruto thought with frustration. 'There're two more of them hidden out here, but where?'

As Naruto glanced around, all his senses on alert for the two hidden enemies, he could see bits and pieces of the fights that his teammates were having.

Konohamaru had engaged the kunai-wielding man while Hanabi was fighting the woman off. Neither Konohamaru nor Hanabi seemed to be able to get a good hit in, but the two mist nin's weren't even trying to go on the offence. They seemed content with evading, blocking or parrying most the attackers from the young Konoha Shinobi.

'Wait a second, something's not right here.' Naruto realized as he watched the man duck underneath a wide swing of Konohamaru's staff and not even try to use the obvious opening it caused. At that exact moment, something very large, pointy and sharp penetrated Naruto's back. He could barely see the mass of long, flowing black hair as the Shadow Clone was dispelled.

"Is this really the best that Konoha has to send to the exams?" the woman asked tauntingly as she kicked Hanabi in the chest, forcing the young Hyuuga to fly through several branches and crashing into a very thick tree-trunk. Before she could make more remarks, however, she was suddenly grabbed from behind by another Naruto, this one seemingly burning in red flames as he held her.

A couple meters away, something similar happened with Konohamaru's opponent. When he had raised his Kunai, blocking yet another attack of Konohamaru, the back of his head suddenly seemed to explode with pain. Naruto had landed behind him, while engulfed in red chakra flames, sucker-punched him on the back of his head. Using the temporary lack of concentration, Naruto was also quick to pin the man's arms at his side.

At the same time as the man and woman were attacked by a couple of clones, a third Naruto had suddenly appeared behind his former assailant, covered in the same chakra-flames as the others. Before there was any time to evade an attack, Naruto let his right fist fly forward, fully powered with Chakra.

There was no time to dodge the attack, especially because his target was still in mid-air, but there was no need to either. Naruto's punch was suddenly stopped by a thick wall of ice appearing just over his target. Without even turning around, the enemy ninja started forming handseals that Naruto couldn't see. In fact, he couldn't even see anything because his opponent had a lot of very long, thick black hair. He couldn't even see if his opponent was a boy or a girl.

As the figure finished making seals, there were even more sharp objects suddenly attacking all three Naruto's in the back. At once, all three Shadow Clones were dispelled as the ice needles drilled through their flesh and penetrated into their nervous system.

Knowing that a Shadow Clone wouldn't be enough to defeat an opponent like that, Naruto jumped down from his own hiding space and appeared before his adversary. As he landed, he could clearly see that she was a girl.

"Not bad, you're able to use Ice Ninjutsu." Naruto remarked as he readied his own stance. His right leg was in front, his arm bended at the elbow and kept close to his body to react to any sudden attacks.

In the small timeframe between Naruto assuming his stance and the voice that suddenly that suddenly yelled "Stop, Izayoi, Muni, Chihiro, stand down!" Naruto's opponent slowly raised her head, allowing Naruto to look her in the eye. As soon as he could, he almost lost his footing.

He was staring right at the face of Haku.

* * *

A/N: bet you all weren't expecting that…

Much thanks to my beta Kushin eX for helping beta this chapter.

Now for the questions in reviews:

Most questions were about the latest Jinchuuriki revealed in Canon (Killer bee). I have said it before, but just to be certain: ANYTHING and EVERYTHING revealed in Canon after the 'Saving Gaara Arc' will not be used in this story the same way it is used in Canon. Some characters will have a cameo appearance if possible, but they will NOT have the same role in the story as they do in canon. I'll slip Killer Bee in later, but he won't have the role he has in the manga. The same goes for several other characters.

Now that I've told you that, look forward to the next chapter, which will have several interesting cameo's…

And, as always, please review to tell me what you think.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. They all belong to rich men who probably sit in expansive chairs, not a poor collage student.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

"What the?" Naruto shouted in surprise as he landed in front of the long-haired mist ninja. The kunoichi -or was this enemy a he like Haku had been?- jumped back but didn't raise her hands to continue fighting. At the same moment, Naruto noticed the sudden appearance of another Mist Ninja.

This man was obviously their teacher: he was older then Kakashi, most likely somewhere in his late thirties, and wore a Jounin's jacket. Aside from that, he wore sand-brown pants, a long-sleeved shirt and the standard ninja sandals. His hair was so short that he almost looked bald, giving the man a serious and stern appearance.

At the order that her teacher had given the entire squad assembled around him. Naruto, surprised by the new change of events, didn't lower his guard as he spoke up.

"Who are you and why did you attack us?" he demanded. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hanabi and Konohamaru getting back up and prepare to continue the fight. Before they had a chance however, the Jounin stepped forward and unexpectedly kneeled. In his outstretched hand, he held a scroll that bore the seal of the Mizukage.

"I assure you, Uzumaki Naruto, we are no enemies of you. The Mizukage has sent us here to greet you before we enter the Hidden Rock so we may discuss a possible alliance and ensure that both your team and my subordinates make it to the finals."

This got Naruto's attention, though: Why would the Mizukage make an alliance to cheat in a simple exam?

"We could not risk contacting you by any means other then direct combat and my subordinate Chihiro attempted to use a genjutsu to prevent anyone from overhearing us. We should have made contact with you first, my apologies for that." The man continued, opening the scroll and placing it on the thick branch before stepping back so Naruto could approach it. The teenage blond didn't move, instead demanding more information.

"Who are you? You're obviously from the Mist, but what are your names and why do you seek to ally yourself with us?"

"All the reasons will be explained in that scroll." The teacher replied, pointing at the scroll he had laid down. "As for our names: I am Gota Jiyu, a Jounin of the Mist and the assigned team-captain for this mission. This is Spira Muni, the team leader during the exams." Jiyu pointed at the gloved girl, who had short blue-and-black hair and a fierce look on her face.

"This is Sen Chihiro; he is the one who tried to cast the genjutsu just now." Chihiro was a young man of average height, with flowing neck-length blond hair and a thin frame. He was still holding the two kunai he had used to defend himself earlier.

"And finally, this is the reason why we are here and seek an alliance with you: This is Izayoi, the Jinchuuriki of the Mist."

Now, Jiyu had pointed at the last member of their squad and obviously the strongest of the three Genin. Now that there was some distance between them, Naruto could see that Izayoi was, in fact, clearly a girl: she showed her female curves from underneath her clothing.

But now, Naruto's attention was drawn away by what Jiyu had just said: This girl was also a Jinchuuriki?

"She's a Jinchuuriki? Of what demon? And why is she able to use Ice-Ninjutsu when the last user of the bloodline died almost four years ago?"

His last statement appeared to surprise both Chihiro and Muni, but the Jinchuuriki didn't even move a single muscle at the statement.

"Izayoi is the container for the Lord of the Western Skies of the Demon World, One of the Four Guardians: Fènghuáng. His power is on par with several of the Tailed Demons, making him a valuable source of power. And as for your question concerning her Bloodline Limit – for I can tell you already know that it is a Bloodline Limit- The missing nin once known as Haku was not the only child born of his mother."

"Haku told me that his parents died when he was young: his father killed his mother and he killed his father. How could they have another child?"

"Your memory is rather good, Naruto-san." The Jounin complemented before saying more. "Their mother, from who they received the Ice-elemental Bloodline Limit, was not killed immediately killed when she was stabbed. She feigned death and used her control over the ice to stop it from killing her when her son lost control over himself. She managed to freeze the wound before she passed out, but Haku thought her dead anyway. When a squad of Mist Ninja arrived on the scene, having carefully monitored the surviving Bloodline Limits, they found the man dead, the woman heavily wounded and the child missing. They brought the mother back to the village, where she was nursed back to health and, a year and a half later, gave birth to a second child: Izayoi. Unfortunately, the mother died during the second childbirth. From then on, Takami-Sama has watched over the child and trained her for the past fourteen years, keeping her a secret due to another power that had been granted to her."

Jiyu paused a moment, glancing around before continuing.

"Upon her birth, several of the village elders claimed that, to rival the other villages once more, we would need a Jinchuuriki. Since she was just born and the potential of combining a Jinchuuriki and a Bloodline Limit was quite tempting, the Guardian Demon Fènghuáng was called forth and sealed inside her."

After this story, silence reigned for a couple seconds, before Konohamaru managed to find his voice and, led by his curiosity, asked a question.

"What're the Four Guardians? The only demons I've ever really heard anything about are the Tailed Beasts. Those Guardians must be pretty strong if they're on par with the Tailed Demons…"

"The Four Guardians are the four demons who govern the four corners of the Demon World." Naruto explained before Jiyu could answer. "The Demons have a large and somewhat complicated hierarchy, but they can roughly be divided into three groups. By far the largest group are the normal demons: they're ruled by the Demon King, who never leaves his castle, and from there the control is divided by the Generals, Animal Lords and other groups. Gamabunta and Enma are Animal Lords. Aside from that are the two very small, but powerful groups: The Gatekeepers and the Guardians."

"Gatekeepers?" Hanabi asked, her curiosity also awoken.

"They're commonly known as the Tailed Beasts by humans." Naruto supplied. They're the nine great Demon Lords who have remained in the Human World and are the only ones able to open a steady gateway to the Demon World, hence their name. None of the other demons can gain a stable form in the Human World if they don't pass through the gates created by the Gatekeepers. And like I said, the Guardians are the four protectors of the Demon World: they guard the land, but they're not under the control of the Demon King."

"How do you know all that?" Chihiro asked, being absorbed into Naruto's explanation before he realized it.

"Because the Kyuubi imparted a good bit of knowledge of the Demon World onto him, that's how." Jiraiya's voice suddenly came as he dropped down from the branches behind them. Apparently, he had decided that this team was not a threat or he wouldn't have shown himself yet. Even so, Jiraiya and his team had now effectively flanked Jiyu's team.

"So, you wish to ally yourself with us for the exam?" Jiraiya continued, addressing Jiyu directly. Knowing he was in the presence of a far superior, legendary ninja, the Mist Jounin quickly agreed.

"Very well," Jiraiya said after a second. "You stay out of our way in the exam; we'll stay out of yours. Should our teams encounter each other, they will not engage in battle, but instead try to help each other if they can without being noticed. Agreed?"

"Agreed"

As Jiyu gave his approval, Team 14 turned to leave. Just as they jumped away, a cry of "Wait, Uzumaki Naruto-san!" stopped them again.

Turning around, Naruto saw that Jiyu had called out and the middle-age Jounin now seemed to have lost control over himself a little: he looked far more nervous then he had when speaking with Jiraiya.

"You should be careful of all Mist Ninja you encounter other then the ones who have promised not to harm you." He suddenly said. "You are a well-known ninja in the Mist and more then a few ninja consider your survival an insult to the Mist's honour. Be careful of any mist shinobi that approaches you without clear intensions, even if they do not belong to the Seven Swordsmen. The Swordsmen are the pillars that uphold our village's name, the most well-known warriors the mist has. But many of the finest ninja are not part of the Seven, yet are as strong as them. Be careful."

"I'm always careful around my opponents, Jiyu-san." Naruto replied before turning around and continuing his travels. But as he jumped from tree to tree, there was one thought racing through his mind.

'Why would he tell me that?'

XxX

As they walked through the gates of the Hidden Rock, the four members of the Sound Team were stopped for a second, checked and then granted access to the village when they showed their invitations. While they were walking down the street towards one of the hotels, the team's members kept looking around at the others they saw.

Kabuto was, to say the least, disappointed by what he saw. He would not be entering the exam himself, instead posing as the Jounin teacher of his team, but there was no-one who even looked remotely powerful enough to stand a chance against his team

"Don't worry Kabuto." The boy behind him said, as if he sensed his disappointment. "There's still two days before the actual exam, plenty of people will start showing up soon." As the walked, the boy lowered his hood, revealing the pale blue hair and sharp teeth that so easily identified him.

"I certainly hope you're right S-Suigetsu." The red-haired girl next to him said. "But I can't sense anything accurately approaching, it's way too crowded with ninja over here." She too slid down her hood, showing that her hair was divided into two parts: one was kept well-combed and fell straight past her shoulder; the other was more wild and un-kept. Behind them, two other Sound Ninja, wearing facial masks, were carrying their third team-member, who was still in his forced artificial sleep.

"I know, but from the looks of it, you three won't even have to try. But just remember: you're not here for the promotion, rank means nothing. Just be sure you complete your mission!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Suigetsu said in a mocking tone as he continued walking. "I'm Hozuki Suigetsu and I always get my missions done. Now let's go to the hotel, I need a drink."

XxX

A day before the start of the exams, Team 14 had finally reached the Hidden Village of the Rock. Checking over their papers once, the guards at the gate let them in after informing them about the rules: Don't cause trouble and you won't have any with us.

Walking a few steps behind Naruto and Jiraiya, Konohamaru and Hanabi were exhausted; exhilarated and confused. They were still trying to get over their encounter with, and shameful defeat by, the Mist Squad they'd met, but they were now quickly feeling their confidence drop to an all time low.

"Hanabi-chan, look at all those other guys. Everyone who's participating at the exam is almost twice our size…"

"How am I supposed to look at them when I'm blind?" the Hyuuga replied with annoyance. She had been forced to keep the blindfold on almost all day, except for a small break at lunchtime, and was thoroughly annoyed by it.

"Hey you two, catch up already." Naruto called over his shoulder, seemingly unaffected by the looks everyone was throwing the team from Konoha. Now that even more people were looking at them, because of Naruto's yell, the two young teens jogged for a bit as they caught up with their teammate and teacher.

"Ok, so I was thinking we could go to the hotel right now, have an early dinner and then go to bed early, we'll want to make sure we're well-rested tomorrow. What'd you two think?" Naruto asked them as soon as they caught up.

"Sounds good to me" Said Konohamaru quickly, eager for some good rest. He was still exhausted from the journey alone.

"But only if we can eat in our room." Hanabi added, hoping the three guys would understand her hint and not complain about her desire to use her eyes again.

"Sure thing, let's go." Naruto said as he resumed a slow and leisurely walk through the village, his hands folded behind his head.

XxX

The following morning, Team 14 was sitting in the examination room, along with over a hundred other teams. Naturally, they had grouped together with the other teams from Konoha, but there was no-one there that they knew. Having arrived pretty early, Konohamaru and Hanabi were starting to really feel their nerves coming up, but Naruto seemed perfectly relaxed. About half an hour before the actual exam began, he pulled his two teammates to the side and handed them something.

"Take these, they're communication toads." He said, as he handed the miniature frogs to the others. "Place them in your collar and we'll be able to communicate with each other". The toads are linked with each other through telepathy and act as a microphone for us. I don't know what the exam is, but chances are it's something about information gathering or stealth. In that case, it'll be handy if we can communicate."

"But…" Konohamaru started as he placed the small frog in his collar, "Isn't that cheating? Won't they throw us out of the exam for that?"

"Konohamaru, we're ninja." Naruto said, as if he was explaining that one plus one equals two. "We can't cheat; it's all part of reaching our goal: the means to get there are yours to choose."

He looked like he wanted to continue, but all of a sudden he turned around and looked at the entrance to the exam hall. Konohamaru looked over his shoulder, while Hanabi focused her

Byakugan on the sight.

Three people had walked into the door, wearing a forehead protector with the Sound Symbol on them. In the middle, probably the leader, was a young man with blue hair and an aura that made Konohamaru very uncomfortable. He was clothed in a tight blue shirt and baggy pants and had a large black wooden sword attached to his back.

"He's a sword-user." Naruto said, his eyes closed into a semi-glare. "and a good one too. Be careful around them. That's not a wooden sword; it's a sheath for a hilt-less sword."

But Konohamaru was actually more worried about the other team-member of the blue-haired swordsman. Standing on the left of the bluenette, there was an absolutely massive man: he was even bigger then Azuma or Gai. He wore a simple white shirt and pants, which was in sharp contrast to his orange, unkempt hair, but he still looked quite imposing. But, oddly enough, he didn't give off the same scary feeling of the swordsman. Instead, he was standing there with a content smile on his face, simply looking over the room as if he were checking out a nice garden.

The third member of the team was, true to the theme, an oddball as well: she wore black glasses that didn't hide her red eyes and her hair was strange as well. On one side, her hair was well-kept and combed, making it look like a curtain of red. On the other, it was highly unkempt, making it like she was a blood-covered hedgehog. She didn't look all that intimidating and wasn't carrying a weapon and she didn't give off the same threatening aura that the swordsman had, so Konohamaru instantly assumed her to be the weakest member of the team. But, at the same time, he also had a feeling that despite her being the weakest, she could still easily take him in a fight.

The girl also looked over the room for a second, which had fallen completely silent after the trio had walked in, and nudged the swordsman on her side. With a nod if her head, she alerted her team to Naruto, who was now standing up and glaring at them openly. The swordsman stepped forward, making his way towards Naruto while his teammates stayed near the door. Naruto did the same, walking towards him while Konohamaru and Hanabi stayed in their original positions.

The two met in the centre of the room, now with a circle of onlookers around them.

"So, you must be that famous Konoha genin I heard about." The blue-haired boy stated, glancing Naruto up and down. "Uzumaki Naruto, right? I thought you dressed in orange?"

"What, you never change your clothes?" Naruto replied with a defiant tone. "But yeah, I'm Naruto. Who're you?"

The blue-haired boy looked Naruto in the eye and, with a grin that showed his shark-like teeth, extended a hand.

"I'm Gimei Suigetsu, of the Hidden Sound." He said, waiting for Naruto to shake his hand. After a second Naruto raised his arm abd, tensely, shook hands with Suigetsu. But, even with his eyes locked on Suigetsu's, Naruto noticed the look of surprise on Karin's face.

Just as Suigetsu was about to say something more, the walls in the back of the room opened, having actually been a hidden door, and no less then thirty ninja with the Rock forehead protector stood there, looking over the teams.

"Hello everyone, please take a seat while I explain what we're going to do as the first exam." A one-eyed woman said as she stood at the front, clearly the leader of the exam.

Naruto and Suigetsu released each other, turned around back to their teams and quickly sat down as well. Unlike the exam Naruto had taken three-and-a-half years earlier, there were no seats or tables, so instead everyone sat down on the ground.

The one-eyed woman looked over the room and, when she was content with how quiet it had become, she spoke up again.

"Now then, for your first exam, I'll explain what we're going to do: You will all follow us to the examination area in a minute and, once there, your mission is simple: find one of the exits. There are a total of seventy exits located in the area and a little over three-hundred clues to their location are scattered and they're in all sort of forms. Each team will receive a portfolio with one hint towards an exit. Each exit can only be used once before it is sealed. And, in addition to that, every entrance will be sealed, four hours after the beginning of the exam and those of you that didn't manage to escape yet will fail the exam and can go right home. Do any of you have questions?"

None of the genin present seemed to be able to find their voices, or at least didn't have questions, so the one-eyed woman turned around and started walking away, chatting with another examiner all the while. The examinee's all followed after then, most of them feeling more then a little nervous.

Finally, after a tense ten minute walk, they had reached the examination area: it was a much a small village, placed inside a huge cave, which was in truth an entire hollow mountain. The cave was big enough to house a couple hundred people comfortable, and there was even some vegetation growing here and there. There was light in the cave coming from millions of small glowing stones, giving the illusion of daylight.

"This is the old Village of the Rock, until it was abandoned about fifty years ago for the much larger village we have these days. It is still an inhabited area and there are some clear rules for you to follow." The one-eyed woman said when everyone had arrived. "Don't harm any of the civilians that are living in the area: you harm them and you'll instantly be kicked from the exam. Your mission is to get enough clues to reach an exit, not harming everyone in your path. And let me remind those of you that are out for blood: killing is not yet allowed in this part of the exam, so don't mess with each other. If you all understand that, then let the first exam BEGIN!"

As soon as the woman had shouted the word, there was a scramble of movement among the ninja. Many teams immediately jumped away to look for clues, while others stayed behind to think of a strategy to use.

Naruto had led Konohamaru and Hanabi to a secluded area, where he opened the portfolio that he had been given during the walk to the cave and, surprised, saw that there were already five clues in there: four parts of a map and a fifth transparent paper that probably marked one of the exits.

'Wait a second, what's going on here? We already have a complete set… Does this have anything to do with the mission that Tsunade-baa-chan is sending me on? Well, with this we're almost assured of passing the exam.' Just as he was about to mention this to his two teammates, an idea suddenly struck him as his mouth turned into a nearly-evil grin. 'If we manage to obtain some more clues, there's a good chance we'll hinder the other teams. Time to eliminate the enemy'

He looked back at the two young kids in front of him, who were surprised to see his smug look of triumph, and he gave them short and simple instructions.

"Get as many clues as you can, I don't care how or where you get them. We'll split up to cover better ground."

"But, Nii-chan," Konohamaru piped up, "Even if we split up, this area is way too big for us to search through. There's no way we'll search everything on our own…"

His words were, of course, true, but there was something that Naruto couldn't stop thinking about. Tsunade had clearly stated that she wanted him to stand out as much as he could.

"Maybe that would normally be true, but Tsunade-baa-chan has told me to use as much of the Kyuubi's power as possible, so I'd stand out a lot. I'm going to start that now."

"What'd you mean?" Hanabi asked; a sudden worry in her voice.

"Hanabi, on my mark, deactivate your Byakugan or you'll be blinded. Re-activate it when I say you can."

The sudden order surprised Hanabi quite a bit, but she nodded her head none the less.

"Ok, listen up you two, this is important. This place is a former Hidden Village and they've given us free reign which means that they either have a way to monitor everything that goes on here, or everyone you see is a ninja. Assume both or we'll never make it out alive. Find clues in any way you can, and report back here in three hours. Understood?"

Again, the two youngsters nodded their heads at him.

"Ok, Hanabi, close your Byakugan."

Naruto waited for a second or two for Hanabi to comply and then he reached into the Kyuubi's chakra and immediately felt that familiar rush of red chakra coursing through his system. Immediately, his fingers slipped into the familiar chain of seals.

"Shadow Clones" Naruto said as, immediately, a hundred copies of Naruto, all with identical red eyes with fox-slits for pupils and messy blond hair with a tint of red, appeared around them.

"Scatter!" The original Naruto commanded and the order was immediately obeyed. "You can re-activate your Byakugan now, Hanabi. I'm going to stay here and coordinate the search that my Shadow Clones are performing; you two scatter and try to find anything that I missed."

XXXxxxXXXxxx

A/N: I hope you all like the twist I gave to the Haku look-alike, because she'll be one of the main characters for the next few arcs. And the first of the big cameos appears, as Suigetsu and his team enter the exams.

Much thanks to my beta's Kushin eX for helping with this chapter.

As always please review and tell me what you think.


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it.

* * *

Nearly two hours after Naruto had set his couple hundred Shadow Clones searching through the village, along with Konohamaru and Hanabi, that the team had reassembled. Most of the Clones had dispelled themselves when they where done, but a few had returned carrying more clues.

The three sat down on a rooftop, going over the clues they had found. Konohamaru had brought a poster, with some scribbling on it, and a report on a peculiar marking on the ground. Hanabi had done a little better, but not by much: she had brought a total of 3 clues, two of which she couldn't take with her but had to report on.

As they had finished their report, they waited for Naruto to make a report. Going over the list for in his head for a second he spoke up.

"Here's what my Shadow clones did in the past two hours: they where divided in three teams. The largest group was searching for more clues and, all in all, they found about ninety different pieces of evidence and after memorizing them altered or destroyed most to stop other teams. Another group was dedicated to creating false evidence to further the chances of confusing the opposing teams. And the last group went to spy on some of the other teams, in particular the Sound and Mist teams that we already met. I get a bad feeling from them."

"You created false clues?" Konohamaru asked in amazement, staring at the older blond. "And more then that, you messed with the original clues as well? That'll be considered as cheating. What if they're going to throw us out of the exam for that?" By the end there was a slight panic in his voice, although he quickly tried to cover it up when he realized it.

"They won't." Naruto simply stated. "Don't forget that this is a Ninja exam. Ninja's don't have rules other then getting the job done. and if you don't have rules, you can't cheat."

"But…" Konohamaru started before gathering himself. "Yeah, you're right. So what do we do now?"

"I don't know. But I think that with the information from Naruto-san's Shadow Clones, we should be able to find an exit right?" Hanabi suggested timidly.

"Yeah, and I already know where one of the exits is. Follow me." Naruto stood up and, turning around, jumped away. The two young teens quickly followed after him. Even though he had found plenty of evidence, Naruto still went towards the exit that was pointed out on the map he had been given at the start of the test: after checking out so many pieces of information, none of them had pointed towards the exit that had been on his map.

'Guess that means that whoever sabotaged the test to our advantage, did a good job of it.' Naruto thought as he jumped towards another building, Konohamaru and Hanabi in hot pursuit. 'But this degree of sabotaging means that the examiners themselves must be involved. And unless they work as double agents, that also means that the Tsuchikage is involved as well. But it would be stupid for a double agent to risk messing with a tournament like this, so that means that the Tsuchikage is most likely involved. What the hell is going on in this exam?'

After no less then ten minutes of traveling at a rather relaxed speed, for Naruto, they found the building that was specified on the map. Going over their surroundings once to make sure no-one was following them, Naruto ordered his team inside.

"Keep your eyes and ears open for any traps of possible ambushes. We have to get to the first floor and room 119." The trio immediately fell into formation in the narrow hallways, with Naruto in the lead, Hanabi in the middle and Konohamaru bringing up the rear.

"Hey, Nii-chan." Konohamaru asked when they where descending the stairs towards the second floor. "You said that one group of Clones was sent to spy on others right, what did you learn from that?"

"Nothing really important, but enough to give me some suspicions." Naruto replied, opening the door to the first floor. "I'll tell you guys everything when we're back in the hotel with Ero-Sennin. I'll have to brief him on the situation as well. Aah, found it."

With the room now found, Naruto stood a little to the side and nodded his head towards Hanabi. With her Byakugan activated, the young Hyuuga could see the movement even through her blindfold. At once she turned her attention to the inside of the room.

"There are two people in there, both of them look pretty relaxed, but they're Chuunin from this village. Nothing hostile to detect. Shall we go in?" she reported.

"Sure, you two stay here for a second." Naruto said as he grabbed the doorknob. With one swift motion he opened the door and got into a fighting stance, just in case.

Obviously, the examiners had been expecting them, already detecting their presents before they opened the door, because they didn't look surprised at all. They both held weapons at the ready, obviously prepared for a fight if they had too, but one of them spoke up right away.

"Relax, examine, we're examiners and we're not here to fight. Calm down and we'll get out of here, so you pass the exams. Now, stand down."

Knowing he should probably play by the rules of the examiners, Naruto relaxed his stance and stood up, signaling his teammates in.

Ten minutes later, they where walking down a hallway, following the two Chuunin into a hidden exit in the back of the apartment. It was during the walk that Hanabi, hoping not to be overheard, whispered to Naruto.

"But, Naruto-san. What if they find out about the clues you've changed?"

Obviously, the examiners had overheard her because they suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Care to repeat that?" one of them asked. Instantly, Konohamaru and Hanabi looked terrified. Naruto, on the other hand, didn't even look worried.

"Yeah, sure." He said. "During the exam, I altered a lot of the clues I found, destroyed some and made a couple more of my own. Why?"

"Oh, ok." The man said before turning around and continuing leading the way. As soon as he was next to his partner, he could be clearly heard as he spoke on. "Finally, someone who understands how the damn exam works."

XxX

As soon as the team had reached their hotel room, they had been greeted by Jiraiya. He didn't need an answer, because he could already tell they had passed by the happy, though surprised, looks on the faces of Hanabi and Konohamaru. Before the trio had even gotten a chance to properly unpack, they had been ordered to de-brief about the exam.

"So, you got through the first exam without a problem." Jiraiya concluded when Naruto was done with his report. "Congratulations. Now, Naruto, tell me more about your spying. What did you learn?"

"The Mist team discovered my Shadow Clone pretty quickly, but they only told it to get away. Apparently, their team leader ordered them not to harm us if at all avoidable. But that Ice using girl, Izayoi, she didn't make a move or say a word. I keep getting a bad feeling around her."

"Well, she is another Jinchuuriki, so it's natural you get a bad feeling around her. But it sounds like they're no immediate threat. Try to keep an eye on them, just in case they try to backstab us. A combination of a demon and a bloodline limit is extremely dangerous. But what about that other team you mentioned?" Jiraiya further inquired, his mind already racing. It didn't escape his attention that Naruto didn't mention anything about the way that he had fit the clues together to find the exit. And since Naruto was a bit of a show-off, that meant he didn't have to put the pieces together. So that meant that he already knew about the exams being rigged to his advantage.

"Well, they're an odd bunch alright." Naruto stated. "The girl, Karin, said that she could feel my Shadow Clones moving all over the area and that it spread my chakra trail all over the area. That means that she's a chakra sensing type of ninja, but from what I can tell she doesn't have all that much chakra herself and based on how she moves, I doubt she's a close combat fighter. She's most likely a supporting unit to her squat."

"It's possible, but her low chakra levels make it unlikely that she's a genjutsu user." Jiraiya "Low chakra levels are pointing more towards Taijutsu users. But what about the others?"

"There was one more strange thing though." Naruto suddenly said. "She didn't have any sort of speech problem, but whenever she addressed the blue-haired swordsman, Suigetsu, she suddenly stuttered. I'm not sure what it means, if anything, but it was odd."

"Yes, you're right. It could mean anything, but we don't really have a clue. Now, about the other ones, what did you learn about them?"

"The huge guy, I think his name was Jugo, is another odd one. Unlike Karin, he has massive charka levels but he doesn't act like a ninja at all. Even when Karin and Suigetsu had pointed out the direction where my clone was hiding, he couldn't notice it. He is also giving off a huge amount of chakra all the time, which is why everyone noticed that team entering. His chakra feels all messed up, sort of similar to that of Sasuke's when he used the Curse Seal. And if that's right, even if he's not a ninja, he'll be one hell of an opponent to defeat."

"If he really has a Curse Seal, then that might be a lot of trouble, but are you sure he's not a ninja?"

"Ehm, what's a Curse Seal?" Konohamaru asked.

"It's a special seal that Orochimaru uses to increase the power of his subordinates as well as gain full control over their mind. it gives a pretty big boost in power to the user, making a couple of mediocre Chuunin capable of fighting on equal grounds against a couple of Jounin." Naruto quickly explained. Looking over at his teammates, he found the two of them looking in complete surprise, but apparently mesmerized by the dialogue.

"And what about the last one, the swordsman?" Jiraiya asked, returning to the subject. "Anything special about him?"

"He's strong, I could already feel that as soon as I saw him. And, unlike the big guy, he's got good control over himself. He's not letting his chakra fly all over the place and from the way he acts I can just tell he can back up his talk. He's also pretty sharp: he could tell when one of my shadow clones had messed with a clue or not. He also noticed my clones pretty quick and he knew they where clones as soon as he saw them. All in all, a dangerous guy."

"Hmm, I'll see what I can find out about him but it will take at least a couple of days, even for my sources." Jiraiya said before continuing. "Try to stay away from them during the second exam, and flee from them if you can. They're not the first team that the Sound has send, they've been keeping a steady stream of shinobi to each exam not held in Konoha or Sand: even Orochimaru has to maintain a source of income for his village if he wants it to survive for longer then a month. But they can be troublesome. Why would Orochimaru send someone who's not a ninja?"

"Can we worry about that later? Like when we're had dinner or something?" Naruto complained as his stomach growled loudly. "I'm hungry."

As they sat down to eat their dinner, however, Jiraiya suddenly looked up at the door. Naruto followed a second later, just before there was a knock. Sitting closest to the door, Konohamaru opened it and was greeted by a young boy who was carrying a stack of paper larger then he was.

"You're the team 14 from Konoha that passed the exams this morning?" the boy asked as he tried to balance the pile.

"Yeah, that's us."

"Here you go, this is for you. It's the forms for the next exam, as well as a description of how to reach the examination grounds. Everyone's expected there for the first explanation at ten o'clock. Enjoy our dinner."

"Vads dit wey?" Naruto asked, his mouth still full.

"These are forms that we have to sign to continue in the next exam." Konohamaru said, looking over the files as he sat down. "if we don't sign it, we can't continue the exam. Wait a second… these are forms where we state that no-one is to blame if we get killed during the exam…"

"Of course." Naruto said, having finally swallowed his food. "We'll probably be allowed to fight freely during the next exam, so people will start to die then. It's pretty standard for them to have us sign a form. What's the other one?"

"It's a map." Hanabi said, scanning over it. "To some place called 'Mount Renge.'"

XxX

Team 14 had already arrived at the mountain at half past nine, so they had some time to check out the area that the exam would be held in. It was Konohamaru that came up with the most accurate description.

"It's looks just like a gigantic anthill…"

The mountain that the exam was going to be held in was high enough for it's peaks to be covered in snow, that much could already be seen from their location on the ground. The mountain itself made a very shard ascend to the top, but what really made it appear like an anthill, where the numerous holes and caves covering the surface. The mountain looked like it could be compared to Swiss cheese – a comparison that Hanabi, after gazing into the first part of the mountain, could confirm: it was littered with caverns and passages inside. And, to really make things interesting, there was smoke coming out of some of the openings.

"Well, everyone, thanks for showing up on such short notice." The one-eyed woman said at ten o'clock exactly "You've seen me before, and I'll be your examiner for this exam as well.

Now, before you all start giving me the forms that excuse me from anyone dying: save them, you'll have to hand them in tomorrow. Three filled out forms in exchange for the equipment needed for the mission and access to a starting point. No three forms, no entrance to the exam. Any questions?"

Looking over the crowd of ninja gathered, at least 30 teams where still remaining, and noticing there where no questions, she continued.

"Now, unlike in the first exam, your mission is relatively simple this time around. Each of you will enter the mountain from a different opening and from there try to map out at least half of the inside of the mountain and then report outside and deliver the map to an examiner. You will have time limit of five days." At this, some of the examinees looked up in surprise, many started talking amongst themselves and others started shouting that it would be impossible. Apparently, the examiners had expected this, because the one-eyed woman charmingly smiled, waiting for the ruckus to calm down a bit.

"Now, as you're already saying, that is a nearly impossible task for a group of 3 in only five days. But your teams will have to work out the problem yourselves. The only way possible to get a map that will meet our criteria is by combining your own map with that of other teams. The way you complete the map is up to you: we only care about getting a completed map. But be warned: we will know when a map is completely made up or not. Now, are there any questions?"

As the examiner started answering more questions, there was one thing that Naruto was thinking off: 'This exam will also be pretty easy to sneak our team a completed map. Will this exam also be set up, or will we have to complete it on our own this time?' as he thought about it, he looked over at his teammates before nodding at them in confidence. 'With Hanabi's Byakugan and my Shadow Clones we can probably map out a good part of the mountain, but I'm worried what will happen when we get into a fight…'

"Alright then, everyone is dismissed. Meet here again, tomorrow morning at nine. And prepare to survive on your own for five days."

XxX

"Ok, that's enough. We'll rest here for now." Naruto said as they reached another ledge, this one hidden from sight quite well. "It's already pretty late, we'll stay here and eat some dinner."

"Alright." Both Konohamaru and Hanabi set, placing their bags on the ground. At once they pulled out the scrolls that Jiraiya had given them. The scrolls had been crafted with a seal of Jiraiya's own making, that could hold food for several days and not make it lose it's taste or nutrition. Naruto also pulled out his own scroll and summoned the food. Unfortunately, they couldn't afford to use any foods that had a strong scent for danger of attracting enemy ninja, so they still had to eat a simple dinner of bread and cheese.

"Alright, I'm going to go scout ahead and set up some traps around us so we'll be safe for the night. Hanabi, you write down what you know so far and start working on the map. Konohamaru, try to clear this place up a bit so we can sleep more comfortable. We'll set up a system for guarding when I get back."

Leaping off the ledge and running some distance, Naruto checked his bag again. It was still there, the proof of his suspicions. Naruto had given Hanabi the portfolio containing the needs for writing a map, but he had pulled one piece of paper out of it, unseen by his teammates.

A completed, highly detailed map of the inside of the mountain, handwritten and perfectly ready to submit to an examiner.

Just as in the first exam, Naruto had kept this information to himself, not wanting Hanabi and Konohamaru to get to lazy and careless with the exam. But it did remind him of the conversation he had had with Jiraiya the night before, just after Konohamaru and Hanabi had gone to sleep.

"**Hmm, this is interesting." Jiraiya had said, ****when Naruto had shared his suspicions. "But try not to worry about it too much. It's an advantage, so use it. Just keep it quite to those two, or they'll drop their guard and get killed in an instant."**

'He never says that I shouldn't worry about anything out of the ordinary.' Naruto thought as he finished one of his traps. 'He always says a ninja should be prepared and doubt anything that happens. The only reason he would tell me not to worry, would be that he already knows what going on.'

"But what _is_ going on in this exam?" he wondered aloud as he moved back towards the camping site, intend on making another trap.

XxX

"_Hey Naruto-kun. What are you doing here?" _

_Turning around, Naruto was surprised to see the long, black hairs and the very nice lavender-scent that belonged to Hinata as she gave him a tight hug. So tight, in fact, that Naruto could feel a very pleasant and soft sensation pressing into his chest._

"_I was looking for you." He said, hugging her back just as tightly. "I wanted to see you again. So I could do this."_

_Without waiting for a response, Naruto lowered his head and moved his lips towards Hinata's. Hinata released the hug ever so slightly so she could turn her head and meet him halfway, giving Naruto a great view of her ample cleavage. keeping one eye down her shirt to enjoy the view, Naruto continued to close the distance, but as he did Hinata's face began to fade a little bit._

"Hey Nii-chan, wake up." A voice softly said, accompanied by a slight push of Naruto's shoulder.

_He was still standing next to Hinata, kissing her intensely. Still, he kept one eye locked on her shirt, where his hand had also disappeared into. It was slowly crawling up her belly, teasing both of them while they kissed. Just a second more and Naruto would feel, rather then see, that delicious softness._

"Come on Nii-chan, wake up, it's your time to take a shift." Konohamaru said as he shook Naruto a little rougher. It finally served to wake the blond up from his extremely pleasant dream. Naruto realized that he had, in his sleep, rolled into a fetus position and he was glad for it. His dream had been rather… pleasing… and he could feel the evidence of it pressed in his pants. His raised knees kept Konohamaru from seeing it, for which he was pleased. The last thing he wanted now was for Konohamaru to get weird ideas.

"Yeah, sure. You go to sleep. I'll take the guard now. I'll wake you guys in three hours." Naruto said, rolling around so his back was to his younger teammate and former subordinate, and standing up.

The order of the guards had been decided rather quickly. Since the first round of guarding was around a time when many people would still be active, Hanabi had taken the first guard. Her Byakugan would alert her to anyone approaching with plenty of time for the others to wake up and prepare for a battle. Naruto, knowing he didn't need his sleep as much as the other two, had taken the last and longest guard duty, where the chances for an ambush where high once again. Konohamaru had been given the middle guard duty, which had the lowest chance of being attacked, because out of all three his tracking skills where without a doubt the worst.

As he sat down, on his own, Naruto had plenty of time to think about what his dream had meant. It was the first time in a long, long time that he had any dreams like that. The last time he had a dream as exciting as that one was when he had woken up with a somewhat wet and sticky boxer, about three and a half year ago. But back then, it had been Sakura-chan who had been 'starring' in his dream. Now, it was Hinata.

'Way back when, I liked Sakura-chan...' Naruto thought, staring into the darkness around him. 'If I'm dreaming about Hinata like that, could I possibly like her now? But I've only seen her once since I got back and we didn't even say anything… sure, she was good-looking, but…'

But there was one thing that Naruto couldn't deny about his dream: he hadn't cared so much about Hinata herself, but more about her body. He had hardly been able to recognize her face while he was about to kiss her, but he had a perfect view of her cleavage.

"I'm turning into a dirty old man like Ero-Sennin…" Naruto finally concluded. "I probably don't like her, at least not as in like her like her…" Naruto let out a sigh. "Like Ero-Sennin said, I'm turning into a boob-lover… And I have to say, Hinata has a really nice pair. Aargh, bad Naruto!" he scolded himself, realizing what he was saying. "I don't like her, I just think she's hot… and why am I thinking about something like that, while I'm here, on an exam, with her sister?! I have got to get a hold of myself…"

XxX

It was already reaching noon, or so Naruto guessed, of the second day, when Team 14 entered a tunnel that was giving of a faint glow and was significantly warmer and more humid then the other passages. After a small break, so Hanabi could further draw their map and making sure that their map would not become ruined by the humid air, the trio of ninja proceeded into the tunnel.

Less then an hour later, they had reached a large cave, filled with steam. Although the amount of steam made it nearly impossible to look further then two, maybe three feet ahead, Hanabi could see through the white smoke with her Byakugan and told them about the room.

It was a particularly large cavern, possible in the centre of the mountain, that was placed just a few meters above a small lake of Magma. The magma heated up the centre of the room to the point where the rocks where hot enough to instantly vaporize water. At the same time, there were also several underground rivers, which supplied the room with plenty of water to vaporize into steam.

"This place is pretty awesome." Konohamaru said, trying to look around. "It's like a natural sauna or something. Wicked cool."

Naruto was about to comment, but suddenly, his entire body tensed up. Grabbing Konohamaru and Hanabi's shoulder, Naruto quickly moved to the side, forcing his teammates to follow him.

"Wait, what's going on?" Konohamaru asked, but Naruto immediately told him to be quite.

"I've noticed another team coming up near here, and at least one of them is giving of huge charka signals. I've got a really bad feeling about this, and they keep coming closer. But what's more, I think there are some other teams closing in behind them as well. And all of them are closing in, fast."

The tone in which Naruto spoke, more so then the actual message, spooked his teammates. Knowing that they where in a serious situation, Hanabi immediately widened the sight of her Byakugan, forcing her to focus more chakra into her eyes and almost overloading her with the sights that she was seeing.

After a couple seconds of keeping up the much wider range of her Byakugan, Hanabi crashed to one knee, breathing heavily.

"It's them." She said, with some difficulty. "It's that team from the Sound, with that swordsman and the huge guy in it. But we can't run…"

At this statement, Naruto looked up with surprise, but Hanabi quickly explained. "There are seven different tunnels leading into this room, including the one we used."

"That leaves us with plenty of chances to get away, right?" Konohamaru said, trying to look through the steam for another exit.

"Yeah, it would." Hanabi sarcastically remarked as she got back up. "Except that there's another team running down each of those tunnels. In a few minutes, there will be no less then eight teams in this cave."

"Well, Karin, looks like you where right." A new voice suddenly said from a short distance away. At once, all three Konoha Shinobi turned around, but they couldn't clearly see through the steam. After a couple of seconds, three distinct figures could be seen through the steam, creating shadows of sorts.

"That little girl really was a Hyuuga after all." Suigetsu continued as he stepped forward, making himself clearly visible to Team 14. Just behind him, Jugo and Karin stepped out as well. Karin pushed her glasses back up with her index finger before speaking up.

"But, we can't ignore this chance, or this information any longer." She suddenly said. "This girl is right, there are no less then six squads coming in fast. And at least two of those teams are on Chuunin level. We'll have to do it now and then get out of here, unless we intend to fight all of those teams at once, S-Suigetsu."

"Yeah, you're probably right, Karin." Suigetsu agreed, taking another step forward and pointing at Naruto. "So, Naruto, allow me to tell you a little secret. As you probably already figured out from spying on us during the last exam, we're not exactly a standard team of ninja. I was send here with a mission and these two to accompany me. My mission is to kill you, just like I killed Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

A/N: Man, this chapter was pretty hard to write, mostly due to some problems from school and the like. Hope you all still enjoy it though. Please, let me know what you think of my little twist with Suigetsu and his squad. Also, my apologies fir this late update, but i was pretty busy with all sorts of things so i had already finished the chapter a bit late, and coupled with my beta's both being really busy atm, it meant this chapter was a bit delayed.

Unfortunatly, both of my beta's where still to busy to check over the chapter, so if there are still some mistakes in it, they're entirely my fault.

And in response to the reviews:

OnGuard mentions that I have made a change in the Mist and I should mention that.

In canon, Haku mentions that the people of the Country of Water where sick of bloodline limits and thus hunted them down. That is something I can understand, but I fail to imagine that a village of ninja would actually allow all the bloodline limits to be killed so easily, especially in a world where everything depends on having powers and abilities that your opponents don't know about. So, in the NA universe, the Hidden Village of the Mist secretly track of all the bloodline limits in their country, which is how Zabuza knew about Haku's existence.

For all the other questions: You'll either have to wait and see what I do with the story (for those of you who asked for spoilers) or go back and check some of the Author's Notes in previous chapters. Most of the questions that have been asked have already been answered in them.

As always, please review and tell me what you think.


	34. Chapter 34

NA 34: Disclaimer: don't own Naruto, or anything related to it.

* * *

"My mission is to kill you, just like I killed Uchiha Sasuke."

As soon as the words had left Suigetsu's mouth, Naruto's thoughts began to race.

'Sasuke, dead? I'll kill – no, wait, why would he tell me that? He wants to anger me. Besides, I just can't see Sasuke losing to this guy. But what if he did? No, he's trying to mess with me. Stay focused, beat him and find out the truth after!'

These thoughts had taken less then a second in total, but Naruto had been able to hide his surprise from Suigetsu, keeping his face in a stoic mask while he took his preferred stance.

"Oh really?" Naruto finally said as he stood ready, his right arm in front to quickly deal with any attacks. "Too bad then, but you'll join him soon, if you try to fight me."

"That's interesting." Suigetsu said; his hand on the handle of his sword. "I heard that your right arm was sensitive, why keep it in front if it hurts so much when it gets hit? Unless it is some form of defense that you're going to use." He didn't take a proper stance, only moving one foot forward so he could quickly draw his weapon and attack if need be.

Naruto was surprised by how accurate his information was, but like Suigetsu he didn't attack yet. He couldn't afford to leave Hanabi and Konohamaru undefended.

"Really, where did you hear that?" He questioned, carefully scanning the area around him. Unfortunately, it was still hidden by smoke, so he couldn't see much.

"Sasuke told me in between our attempts to kill each other. He said he made you cry like a baby just by pinching that arm. And now I can't wait to see what will happen when I cut off a few fingers."

"That doesn't sound like anything the Sasuke I know would do." Naruto simply stated. "But are you going to come and try to kill me or not?"

By now, Naruto had realized that they where indeed in deep trouble. There where still six other teams approaching fast and none of them where from Konoha.

"No, I'm not." Suigetsu said, still not moving, but keeping his eyes firmly locked on Naruto's. "At least not here. Anyone can claim they've killed you here, but I want to make sure everyone knows it was me."

"Why would you want that?" Naruto questioned, still trying to sense where the others where coming from. "That eager to get more Konoha Shinobi on your tail?"

"Like there would be any substantial force in Konoha that would risk their lives to avenge you. Only a handful of shinobi will act; most of them not powerful enough to be a threat." Suigetsu said, now also scanning the cave. "No, I want to make sure that Orochimaru knows I'm the one who killed you, make it impossible for him to weasel his way out of it. And, of course, to taunt the Hidden Mist."

He offered no further explanation, letting Naruto guess his meaning.

"But right now, we have other problems." The blue haired ninja continued, "As your Hyuuga just said, there are six other teams coming over. Even we can't take on six teams on our own and neither can you."

"So, your suggestions?"

"A temporary alliance, only while we're in this room."

"You expect me to let you watch my back?"

"No, I just expect you to take care of three teams entering on one side of the room, while I take care of the other three. Anyone that slips past us will get slaughtered by Jugo, Karin and your kids."

"You expect me to let your team-mates just stay here, with my teammates, while I'm off fighting nine different shinobi?"

"Pretty much," Suigetsu finally said. "Of course, no-one will have to do any fighting if they don't get past us. So, what do you say?"

'Damn, I don't like any of this, but I don't have any other choices.' Naruto thought. 'Leave Konohamaru and Hanabi to a couple of enemies that I know, so I know where they are, or try to sneak past six enemy teams unnoticed… I hate this.'

"Fine, I'll do it." He finally said aloud. "Konohamaru, Hanabi, stay here and keep safe." He added the order to his teammates, unable to tell them to keep an eye on the Sounds.

"Ok, I'll take the west area, you take the east." Suigetsu said, then turning to give orders to his own teammates. "Jugo, try not to fight, we can't risk it right now. But keep Karin and those kids safe if someone gets passed us. We can't reach the next round unless we're with a full team."

"I understand." The large Jugo said in a surprisingly soft and gentle voice. "Good luck, Suigetsu."

"Karin, keep Jugo at level three if you can. If it becomes to dangerous, make it level two. At the very least, he should still be able to scare the crap out of them."

"Of course. I'll make sure Jugo stays under control. Keep safe." The redhead said.

'Wha? What're they talking about?'

"You'll have to hurry." Hanabi said, scanning over the area with her Byakugan. "There are two teams already closing in. They're about to enter the cave!"

With a last, meaningful, look at his two teammates, Naruto turned around and prepared for the fight. For Their part, Konohamaru and Hanabi had seen the look, nodded, and prepared themselves for battle. Jugo stood tall, his eyes closed and obviously concentrating. Karin stood some distance behind her, her hands folded in the seal of the Ram.

XxX

With his sword unsheathed, Suigetsu was standing ready, just above the entrance that the first team was going to enter through. The first team was also the strongest team that was appearing on his side: the team filled with three Chuunin-level ninja.

'Too bad they'll never get passed this exam.' He thought to himself as he finally heard them at the opening, a second away from the large, steam-filled cave.

'Ready… and… now!'

Carefully timing his move, Suigetsu stepped off the rock he had been standing on, flying down and directly at the first ninja to exit the opening. Suigetsu didn't even have time to take in his features as he crashed upon him, the sword in his hand already piercing through the enemy's back.

At once, the other two jumped out in a formation of some sort, both of their hands shooting through seals. One of them fired a blast of wind in his direction, while another rushed straight at him, apparently trying to engage him in close combat. The wind user fired off another blast, forcing the swordsman to move back as he evaded, only to see the rushing ninja finish his own seals. In a single fluid movement, he pushed his hand forward, as if making an invisible open-palm punch

Seeing their headbands, bearing the Rock symbol, Suigetsu quickly jumped in hopes of evading an Earth-based attack. However, instead of an attack, the ninja didn't move his hand. Suddenly, Suigetsu could feel something pulling his arm, but before he could realize what it was, his sword had already been torn from his hand and was now moving towards the outstretched hand.

"What's this?" Suigetsu asked, un-amused now that his weapon had been stolen.

The enemy ninja didn't answer, instead forming more seals. This time, it was a Earth Elemental attack, as several large boulders were formed out of the ground and shot of towards Suigetsu.

'Now he's using Earth elemental. That other technique must have been a bloodline limit of some sort, working like a magnet. And if that's the case, it'll be Earth combined with Lightning to create that effect. Easy as pie.'

Suigetsu ran to the side, dodging the first gigantic boulder as it came his way. The attack was easy enough to evade, but the rocks could be used to corner him easy and he didn't have all that much time anymore.

As he ran past another rock, the Sound ninja suddenly saw something of interest. The first ninja he had cut down was still lying on the ground, the wind-user sitting next to her, as Suigetsu realized that the fallen ninja was in fact a girl. The hands of the wind-user where glowing green, indicating a medical technique.

'Guess I'm changing priorities. And it's time to deal with this, now.' He said to himself, sensing the other two teams speed up now that they had heard the sounds of battle.

Still jumping around to evade the rocks, Suigetsu started forming his own seals. There was plenty of water in this room, so this technique should be easy enough to use.

As another rock flew in his direction, Suigetsu finished his seals, and changed direction straight towards the gigantic flying stone. As his technique formed itself, Suigetsu made a slashing movement.

Instantly, the rock was cut clean in two, much to the surprise of both the Magnet user and the two other ninja, who where still on the ground and where now looking at the newly formed blade of water in Suigetsu's hand.

"Water Elemental: Water Blade." Suigetsu said, by means of explanation, just before he cut of the medic's head. Still paralyzed from the last attack, the would-be Chuunin on the ground was next, also decapitated.

"NO!" the last member of his team, the magnet user, shouted in despair as he saw his teammates die. "You! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU FOR THAT!" as once his hands flew through seals again, much faster then before, Suigetsu's sword attached to his arm by some minor magnetism technique.

"Magnet Element: Focused Repel." From all over his body, as well as the bodies of his teammates, all sorts of metal objects rose up and levitated in the sky for a second. Several of the rocks around, including the large ones that he had formed himself, also rose up in front of the magnet user. Then, after hovering for a second, all of the hovering objects suddenly shot forward. Suigetsu jumped backward, smirking as he went, and dispelled his Water Blade. Making another jump back, he landed some distance away from the quickly approaching weaponry and from there stood still, his hands in a seal.

A split second later, just before Suigetsu would have been pierced and smashed by all the deadly equipment, it stopped in mid-air for a second, before suddenly shooting back towards the magnet user. He desperately tried to stop his own technique, increasing the power of the magnet field, but it only made the objects approach faster. Quickly stopping the magnet field, he tried to escape, but he was too late: one of the large rocks had already reached him and flew straight into his hip, forcing him to the ground in a large yell of pain. The other rocks soon followed, along with many of the metallic objects.

Suigetsu reached down to grab his sword, still stuck in the ninja's abdomen, and stood over the dead body for a second.

"Magnet element. A nice little trick, but it's one of the weakest Bloodline Limit's I've ever seen. All I had to do was mess up with the Lightning element you where using and you where dead. And isn't that a neat little trick… I can store Lightning Elemental chakra in my sword. Picked it up a while back."

Pulling his sword out and swinging it to clear of the blood, Suigetsu turned around to face the second team, but was surprised to find not three, but six shinobi stand ready.

A second later, he realized all six of them where wearing the same headband so they had probably teamed up for this. He quickly raised his sword to a fighting stance, but the six opposing shinobi had already split into three groups of two. Two of them rushed forward, kunai in hand, to attack him, while two others quickly formed seals so they could use Ninjutsu to support the melee. And the final two made a very wide arc, far outside Suigetsu's range, as they dashed past him, straight towards Karin, the kids and Jugo.

It almost made Suigetsu feel sorry for them. But right now he had four more ninja to kill.

XxX

Just as Suigetsu on the other end of the cave, Naruto was waiting just above the opening that the strongest enemy team would enter through, ready to strike them down as soon as they arrived.

The instant he saw the first shinobi enter, Naruto gathered a mass of chakra in his hand, created a Rasengan and smashed it into the wall. With a loud explosion, the stone wall erupted, sending spikes and rocks falling towards the team passing beneath.

The first member was already clear, and the second one quickly jumped away, escaping the potentially lethal debris, but the last member in the group's line was not so lucky: she was caught just as the rocks fell on her, covering her before she could even make a sound.

Now that he had two Chuunin-level opponents left to deal with, Naruto got ready for battle, with Tsunade's order to use as much of Kyuubi's charka as he could still fresh in his mind. Jumping towards the two ninja, Naruto released a small amount of Kyuubi's charka to flow through his chakra system. It wasn't enough to change his features, but it made the red charka surround him like a flame and enhanced his abilities enough to give him the upper hand.

As soon as he made contact with the two remaining ninja, they erupted in a fast-paced melee. Obviously, both enemies where capable close-combat fighters, because they easily maneuvered around Naruto, evading his attacks as best they could and giving each other support where possible.

But, as skilled as they where, they could not keep up with Naruto's enhanced capabilities. Using the Kyuubi's chakra, all the hits he took where severely reduced and the small cuts they made healed nearly instantly.

As Naruto ducked underneath a quick jabbing motion made by one of the two, he tried to punch the opponent in the gut, but couldn't move his arm. Looking around, the other ninja had come around and grabbed Naruto's arm, stopping his counterattack. Quickly spinning around, he managed to elbow the shinobi holding his arm, but in return he took a knee to the stomach, combined with a rough hit on his shoulder. Without flinching, Naruto grabbed both of the ninja by their clothes, turned and tossed them away, into some other rocks. But instead of crashing into them and breaking their backs, the two ninja flipped in mid-air, landed on their feet and dashed forward for another attack.

Naruto tried to step aside and single one of the two out for elimination, but he had no such luck. Looking down, Naruto suddenly saw that the ground around him had, it seems, turned to mud and had sucked his feet in. A second later, before Naruto could lift his feet, the mud hardened back into solid rock. A small chuckle behind him, made Naruto look around and locate the source of the Earth Manipulation.

The last member of the team, the one who had been caught in the collapse of the rocks, stood erected from the rocks that had crushed her, but only her waist appeared out of the rocks. An instant later, Naruto realized that she must have been an Earth Elemental Ninjutsu user and had used a technique that let her combine with the earth. And now, she had trapped him, immobilizing him, while her teammates rushed in to go for the kill.

'Oh well.' Naruto thought as he realized his only way out. 'Baa-chan did say to show off as much as possible…'

Closing his eyes to concentrate chakra, Naruto quickly pulled them open again as he felt a wave of the Kyuubi's red chakra escape from his body, transforming the blond. He crouched down, placed his hands on the ground as he felt his entire body morph. A second later, Naruto had completed his transformation into the one-tailed form of the Kyuubi, complete with an intense cloak of red chakra to protect him.

The sudden explosion of charka pushed back the two who where running straight at him, and even knocked the Earth-using girl out of her rocks, her concentration broken. In the same instant, the earth that had captured his feet exploded away, giving him full mobility once more.

Raising one of his hands, a claw of chakra shot out and grabbed the girl at once, lifted her up and then threw her across the room, straight into the face of one of her teammates. The third member of their team suddenly appeared behind Naruto, bursting out of the ground with his hand transformed into some gigantic stone variation of a fist. He quickly brought the transformed hand down, intent on smashing in Naruto's skull, but he never reached it.

The tail of charka now extended from Naruto's rear bound itself across his chest, lifted the ninja up and, in a fluid and highly violent motion, smashed the man straight into a rock. At once, the rock and its surroundings where painted red, due to the violent contact between the rock and the ninja's skull.

By now, the other two had gotten up as well, but before they could make a move, Naruto had already captured them in one of his chakra claws and pulled them closer. In his other hand, his left hand, he formed a powerful red Rasengan, which was spinning so fast and brightly it almost seemed to create a colored vacuum around it.

As soon as they came within striking range, Naruto swung forth his Kyuubi-state Rasengan and hit them straight on the chest. The result wasn't pretty. The Rasengan tore through them like a tornado, ripping them to pieces. It was only thanks to Naruto's chakra claw still holding them that the entire area did not get covered in blood, bone and other substances Naruto didn't want to think of.

"Glad that's over with." The blond sighed as he stood back up, scanning his surroundings. He sensed them a second before they spoke up.

"You think it's over already?" a young man said from behind Naruto. He turned around just in time to see one team moving past him, while another team was now running towards him.

XxX

'Why on earth am I in this situation?' Jugo thought as he looked around, desperately trying to keep up with the fights going on. 'I'm not a ninja. I don't even know where Suigetsu or that Naruto guy is...'

"Jugo, get ready." Karin suddenly said; her eyes closed in concentration. "Two shinobi have managed to get past S-Suigetsu."

"Not good." The large orange-haired man said. "Karin, you'll have to tell me where they're coming from."

"Three more are coming from Naruto-san's side!" the Hyuuga girl suddenly said, although her eyes where still blindfolded. Jugo was surprised that the girl would know that, since she was obviously blind. 'Ninja's…' he thought.

Next to the girl, the brown-haired boy was already holding on to his staff, his body stiffening to prepare for battle. But Jugo still remembered Suigetsu's orders, not to let anything happen to Karin or the two kids. However reluctant to fight, Jugo's main instinct, at that moment, was to preserve all life possible. 'Guess that means I'll have to fight… maybe I can make them surrender.'

"Karin, which of them is stronger and who will arrive first?" he finally asked.

For her part, the redhead was surprised to hear something akin to an order pass from Jugo's lips, but she answered all the same. No point in arguing when a group of enemies where a second away.

"The two that slipped past S-Suigetsu are going to be here first. One of them is pretty strong; the other is still genin-level. And from that blonde's side, there are three more incoming; they're at an equal level, so they're probably from the same team."

Jugo looked around for a second then finally he made a decision.

"Karin, you'll have to tell me where they are, I can't find them unless they're right next to me. I'll try to hold them off until Suigetsu or that Naruto person get back."

"Hold them off?" Karin yelled, "For god's sake Jugo, just kill them! That's much easier."

"I don't want to kill anyone. Now just tell me where they are." Jugo said, turning in the general direction of the two approaching ninja.

"Will you stop ordering me around?" the redhead yelled back in frustration, before concentrating again. "They're approaching just to your left. If you strike there in exactly fifteen seconds, you'll hit them dead on."

Instead of rushing forward, Jugo stood very still, not moving an inch. Then, exactly fourteen seconds later, he quickly raised his right arm, as if he where punching the air. But just as he punched, his entire arm transformed, gaining scales all over, his fingers transforming into a claw and the arm itself extending far longer then it normally would have.

One of the two, most likely the stronger ninja, sensed Jugo's increase in chakra and evaded the attack. The other wasn't so lucky. The young ninja got hit straight in the chest, knocking him to the ground and making him lose consciousness.

'Good, that's one out that I didn't kill. Now for the other one.' Jugo thought as he retracted his arm, forced the seal back into submission and tried to catch his breath again. In less then a second, the other ninja had closed the distance and attacked Jugo with a short sword. Following the instinct that was making his blood boil in anticipation for a battle that he didn't want, Jugo jumped back to evade the slash.

Before he had even landed, he heard Karin yell. "Jugo, hurry up, the other group is almost here!"

So, in an attempt to scare both his attacked and the secondary team away, Jugo released a small part of his cursed power. It was miniscule, not even a tenth of what his power was really capable of, but both Suigetsu and Kabuto-san had said that his chakra alone could be enough to scare many shinobi away.

"What the hell is that?" the sword-wielding ninja said in surprise, not asking the question to anyone in particular.

"Leave now and you won't die. Continue to fight and you will not survive." Jugo said, attempting to make his voice as intimidating as possible. At the same time, he could already feel that the adrenaline coursing through his body was awakening his other side. He had difficulty controlling his own body already.

The ninja noticed the difficulty that the large man now had with his body and saw his chance to attack. In a split second, he had used his speed and slipped underneath the large man's arm and attacked.

Just like before, the man had clumsily tried to jump back to evade, but he just wasn't fast enough. Blood flew out of the cut that had been made all along his front side, but it wasn't deep enough: the evasive maneuver had served the orange-haired man well enough.

Jugo was still in the air after jumping back, pain coursing through his entire system, that he felt it. The pain and shock of being hit had weakened him, he was losing his control. Already, he could feel the urge come. Already, he could feel his mind being twisted.

'Kill him!' his mind raged. 'Kill him, kill him, kill him! GO ON AND KILL HIM!'

Before Jugo had a chance to try and control himself, it was already too late.

All over his body, black-purple marks suddenly appeared; his chakra levels increased like mad and all the muscles in his body toughened up. The small transformation even stopped the bleeding of his chest.

"You're dead!" Jugo shouted, looking at the man that had attacked him. "I'm going to fucking kill you! DIE, DIE, DIE!"

In an instant, Jugo was upon the man, grabbing the sword-wielding arm in one hand, the other around his throat. With a gleeful laugh, Jugo crushed the ninja's elbow, making him scream in pain. The horrified scream, along with Jugo's insane chakra levels, were enough to pause all the other ninja in the area.

Then, while he was still screaming in pain, Jugo raised the shinobi over his head and quickly slammed him down on the ground. His movement had so much force that the stalagmite that was located there, pierced right through his body. As blood was gushing out, the ninja couldn't even scream anymore as he saw the crazed look on his killer's face.

"Jugo, that's enough!" Karin yelled from behind. The sound of her voice only made Jugo turn around and spot the six others now in his field of vision. Three of them where woman, three of them where male. That was all Jugo noted.

"Let's see, let's see. Who am I going to kill now? Who of you is gonna die next?" he questioned loudly as he walked, slowly, towards them. "Should I kill a boy? Or a girl? I think a boy, no a girl. No, no, no I'll kill a boy first!" he took a step towards Konohamaru, before his eyes scanned the region some more.

"NO!" he suddenly yelled and turned around, looking straight at Karin. "I'm going to kill you! You're gonna die! I'm gonna fucking kill you!"

With that, Jugo rushed forward, the curse seal spreading further the longer he stayed in this state, towards Karin.

The redhead, for her part, didn't even flinch or move away. Instead, she formed a short order of three seals then pointed her hands outward towards Jugo, forming a triangle between her thumbs and pointing fingers. At the same time that she had formed the pattern, she spoke up.

"Level 2!"

The effect was instantaneously. Jugo was paralyzed to the spot, still in the pose for his mad rush forward. It looked like he had been frozen in time, no part of his body was moving, except for the tiniest movements of his chest, allowing him to breath.

But now that the threat had been stopped, the three other ninja, who Karin had seen were from the Hidden Grass, were ready to re-engage in battle.

XxX

'Oh, that's Jugo releasing his curse seal.' Suigetsu realized a second after the massive wave of chakra had filled the cavern. A mere twenty seconds after the two ninja had moved past him, he had felt Jugo knock one down before going berserk.

'Guess it's time to stop playing.' He said. 'Karin can stop him, but I can't afford to have him go on a rampage now.'

So, Suigetsu quickly blocked two attacks. The tonfa that a large, black-clad ninja was using was stopped by his Water Blade, while he parried the Kusarigama that another ninja favored with his own sword. Since they had arrived, Suigetsu had quickly summoned the Water Blade, to use two weapons and therefore combine attack and defense. But now it was time to simply go and kill them.

He jumped back, then jumped again immediately to avoid a strike in his back from a third ninja. Releasing the Water Blade, Suigetsu had one hand free now. Spinning his sword around in the air before him, he had just enough time to go through the familiar sequence of seals. As soon as he was done, he grabbed the handle of his sword and slashed forward.

Since there was still nearly twelve meters between the swordsman and themselves – thanks to his powerful jump backward - the three ninja didn't care much for his wild slash, instead rushing forward. The tonfa-wielding ninja was taking the lead, while a Taijutsu-expert was right beside him. The Kusarigama user stayed behind a little, since her weapon was best suited for long-range battle. The fourth member, a water-elemental Ninjutsu user, was staying back to prepare for a big Ninjutsu.

But they never had the chance to attack. As Suigetsu swung his sword, a large and thin stream of water suddenly burst forth from the tip of the sword. Literally forming an extension of the sword, the water beam hit the trio dead on.

And moved straight through them.

Before they even had a chance to realize what was going on, each of their bodies was cut in two, just where the water had touched them.

'Three down, one to go…' Suigetsu mused as he turned around, not even looking at the three bodies anymore.

"There you are!" he said, although there was no amusement in his voice, when he spotted the last of the enemy ninja. It was only now that he noticed that their headbands had the symbol of the Hidden Mist.

"Water Element: Pressure Punch."

The last Mist ninja all but screamed the attack as he punched the air. Immediately, much like Suigetsu's own attack, a stream of water burst forth to extend the reach of the strike. But it was much slower and weaker then Suigetsu's version, making it obvious that this ninja was still an amateur in the usage of this particular technique.

Easily dodging it, Suigetsu instead placed the tip of his sword in the water and released the electric chakra inside it. Another technique he had learned a while back.

"Chidori Current."

The lightning shot through the water, reaching the ninja's hand at the speed of light, and immediately went to work on electrocuting the man. Soaked, due to a combination of his technique, the steam around them and his own sweat, it was over in an instant.

The high-intensity electricity had destroyed his nervous system, stopping both his brain and heart from working, while giving the outward appearance that the man was burned to a crisp.

"Now that that's over with… time to go back to Jugo and Karin."

XxX

Naruto was still engaged with the other team, who where coordinating their attacks exceedingly well, when he felt Jugo's charka spike. And it didn't feel good either. No matter how Naruto looked at it, the chakra gave him a bad feeling.

It had been his first intention to use the Shadow Clone Technique to send in a couple of Shadow Clones after the other team, but he had not been given the chance. And now, it seemed, time was up.

Knowing he would have to act soon, Naruto again summoned the chakra of the Kyuubi, going into his preferred battle state. His body transformed a little, giving him claws, spikier hair, red eyes and a more crouched posture, but he lacked the protective cloak of red chakra that was present in his one-tailed form. But, on the other hand, this form at least allowed him to use Ninjutsu and keep a firm grip on his mind.

By now the three opponents stood next to each other, each of them going through seals. Naruto rushed forward, intend on knocking them down, when suddenly the ground all around him exploded.

The trio of ninja smiled as they saw that he powerful black-clothed ninja had fallen perfectly for their trap. Their techniques at the ready in case he survived the explosive tags they had hidden under the ground, they waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, courtesy of a minor Wind-Ninjutsu that one of the three had used, they saw absolutely nothing.

Before they could comment, the ground behind them exploded and the blond jumped out of the ground, completely unscratched and still with those crazy and scary red eyes. He also made seals, but he was much faster then any of the trio could ever hope to reach. His seals finished in half a second, and the last thing all three of them noticed before they where knocked out, was the incredible stinging sensation all over their body.

Now that he had taken care of the first team, Naruto turned around to engage the other team in battle. Less then ten seconds later, he was close enough to see what was going on.

Jugo was standing in the middle, frozen and absolutely not moving, as if he had been turned into a statue. His arm was also transformed into a claw, and was extended a bit forward, but the thing that drew Naruto's attention the most where the black marking all over his body: he was also a carrier of the Curse Seal and in a far different form then he had seen so far.

Straight ahead, Hanabi was engaged with one of the three ninja that had sneaked past him, but she wasn't doing too well. One of her arms was bloody and held at an awkward angle, but still she was dancing around the spiked whip that her attacker was using.

Some distance to her right, Konohamaru was engaged in melee combat with one of the others and he was holding himself rather well. His opponent was unarmed, giving Konohamaru the advantage of reach and power, but both fighters had some injuries. Konohamaru was bleeding above his left eye, effectively blinding that eye, but he had scored a good hit on the opponent's temple from the looks of the bruise forming there.

Finally, behind Jugo, Karin was desperately ducking under the sword swipes of the last team member. A second glance told Naruto that the sword was actually made of stone, rather then steel, so it was most likely a temporary Ninjutsu that had created a weapon. Still, it was odd that Karin wasn't even trying to counterattack.

"AARGH!" Hanabi's voice suddenly cut through the air. Looking in her direction, Naruto saw the young Hyuuga on the floor with a bloody leg: her attacked had managed to hit her on the legs with the spiked whip and he was now preparing for a second strike, no doubt aimed at her neck.

'Not in this lifetime!' Naruto thought as he turned towards the fighting duo, but he would never make it in time to stop the whip. Instead, he made a wild throwing motion with is right arm. Now the whip had been fully pulled back, so the ninja swung it for another strike. Underneath the cloth, Hanabi reflexively closed her eyes as she thought her death was approaching.

The strike never came.

"Now, Hanabi!" Naruto suddenly yelled.

Using her Byakugan, Hanabi could see what had happened. At some point during the drawback of the whip, it had been cut clean in half. Now, through the direction the whip had been moving in, some of the spikes where stuck in the back of the Hanabi's would-be killer. Still surprised, the man wasn't moving for a second.

That second was all that Hanabi needed.

Despite her bloody and painful leg, she shot forward and punched the man in the chest. As she had been trained to do since she was five, she released a spike of chakra as well, destroying the man's chakra-circulation system right around his heart. He was instantly dead, held up only by his own whip. The spiky end had been stuck in his back, while the remains had continued a small distance after being cut off and got stuck on a stalagmite. A small drop of blood appeared out of his mouth, slowly moving down his chin, but other then that there was no more movement.

At the same time, the shinobi that had been attacking Karin let out a scream of pain, drawing the attention to everyone there. For a second, Naruto could see fear on the faces of Hanabi, Konohamaru and even Konohamaru's attacker, but then they saw what had happened: Karin's attacker had been stabbed in the side by Suigetsu, who had used the steam as a cover to sneak up close. With the blade stuck in his liver, the ninja would surely be dead in a matter of minutes.

Quickly recovering from the scream, Konohamaru returned his attention to the fight. Obviously, his opponent was still slightly distracted from suddenly seeing both his teammates die. His moment of distraction allowed the young Konoha Shinobi to land a clean and dangerous hit on the throat. Using his full weight and power, Konohamaru slammed one of the heavy-weighing pieces of his staff into the man's throat, crushing it. The man fell back; his arms and legs going wide as he landed like a spread eagle, his throat dangerously thin-looking now that it had been crushed.

For a few seconds, everything was silent and everyone stood as still as Jugo: frozen like statues. It was finally Naruto who spoke up first.

"Are you two alright?" he asked. At this, seemingly everyone but Jugo seemed to return to life.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Konohamaru and Hanabi said at the same time, slowly standing back up.

"Well. That was intense." Suigetsu commented, looking over at Jugo and Karin. "I'll go and get what's left of their maps on my end. Karin, make sure Jugo doesn't move until he's calmed down."

"Not a problem." The redhead said, sitting down on a rock behind her. Even in the steam-filled cave, Naruto could see her heavy breathing and thick layer of sweat.

XxX

Not even an hour later, Team 14 was ascending through the mountain's caves at an extremely high speed. It wouldn't have been anything that Konohamaru and Hanabi would have been able to keep up with, even without injuries, but with Hanabi's leg still hurt, Naruto had decided that this was the best course of action.

After they had copied the maps that Suigetsu and Naruto had recovered from the six defeated teams, Team 14 had left as quickly as possible. During that entire time, taking a little over twenty minutes, Jugo hadn't moved one inch, indicating to Naruto that something more was up than him simply standing still.

The six maps together where plenty to pass the exam, and even if that failed, Naruto had the completed map in his pocket to hand in, so he had summoned a trio of toads to carry them away to the exit. During the time they had waited for the maps to be copied, Hanabi and Konohamaru had tended to their injuries, so now they where each wrapped in some clumsy bandages. They didn't look all that surprised, but immensely relieved, when Naruto had told them that they would evacuate the area right away and finish the exam three days before the time limit.

"But why?" Hanabi had asked when they left the room.

"Because we need to get out." Naruto had answered. "We've completed the exam, you two are in no shape to continue and we have a lot to tell Ero-Sennin. And after that, we have a lot of preparing to do for the finals."

* * *

And a action-heavy chapter, over and done with. Hope you all liked Naruto's first battle after his three years of training, along with the introduction to Suigetsu and Jugo's powers.

Much thanks to my beta's Kushin-eX for going over this chapter for me.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think of the chapter.

P.S. I need to (somewhat publically) apologize for a prank I played on Kushin during the London MCM Expo. I met up with him and a couple of mates of his there and told a rather crude joke about one of his purchases. And now, his mates have relayed that joke to his girlfriend. I've never meant it to reach her ears, so my sincerest apologies for that and I hope you aren't too mad.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: don't own anything related to Naruto or anything of the sorts.

* * *

"How much longer are we going to have to wait around here?" Konohamaru whined as he was still walking around in circles. "We've been waiting for two days already, why can't we just go on to our hotel and get the summons when the exam is over…"

"Stop complaining!" Hanabi scolded, sitting in a meditation stance, trying to keep a closer look on what was going on inside the mountain by using her Byakugan. Neither she nor Konohamaru had been allowed to do minor training in the time they were waiting, because the opposing teams could see their abilities. Bored out of their minds; both young ninja got far more irritable than normal.

Like Konohamaru had said, they had already been waiting for two days. Immediately after the massive fight inside the steam cave, Naruto had led his team out, offered the already completed map to the examiners, who took one look at it and then pocketed it with a knowing look and told them they were not allowed to leave the area until the time limit had passed. A small lodge had been set up for each team to stay in, so they at least had some privacy.

But Naruto had remained outside most of the time, intend on looking at the other teams that arrived to look at what they could or could not do. So far, only a handful of teams had made it.

Of course, the Sound Team had made it out, although they arrived significantly later then Team 14. While Suigetsu had completely recovered, Karin looked tired from her short battle and Jugo didn't look too good either.

With still one day left to the exams, there where several other teams outside already, but the majority had been expected to arrive today. So far, one team of the Hidden Rock had finished the exam and one team from the Hidden Cloud. Form listening in and observing, Naruto had learned a little about both teams.

The Hidden Rock team was led by a young male medic with blue hair held in a high ponytail and glasses. Instead of battle armor, he wore a comfortable brown robe not unlike the black ones that Naruto was wearing, although his where made of ordinary cloth. Below the waist, he wore ordinary brown pants, which even went around his feet, where they where held in place by his sandals. From their conversations, Naruto had learned his name was Pyonatara Rurii.

The second team member was a rather cute blond girl with long, curling hair. Her clothing mostly reminded Naruto of what Sakura wore on the mission to chase after Gaara although she wore an additional skirt over her hot pants – with a pouch on each side of her skirt to allow her access to weapons and the like – and instead of gloves she had brown arm protectors, the same as Sasuke used to wear. Her shirt was also a bit longer at the bottom, connecting with her skirt at her sides. Completing the look was a jacket that only covered her top, which was adored with the symbol of the Hidden Rock on each of her shoulders. Below her skirt, she wore high brown stockings, which ended in her knee-high black boots. Of course, like with all ninja footwear, her boots where open at the bottom to allow her toes to be seen. Her name was Yuko Narato.

Finishing up the Rock Squad was their last – and most impressive looking – member; Warupo Teken. While his two teammates went for a sophisticated or cute appearance, Teken went for practical and powerful. He was well over a foot taller then either of his teammates, with short brown hair, was dressed in regular ninja clothes, with a white t-shirt, covered by a black sleeveless- jacket with what appeared to be his clan's symbol on it, and black, somewhat baggy pants to allow for easy movements. His feet and shins where protected by dark boots and, based on how they looked, they were probably enforced with metal plates. His arms where protected by metal bracers while his hands where covered with black gloves, another metal plate protecting his hands. His headband, bearing the Hidden Rock Symbol, was covered with a rather long band, the ends of which reached far down his back. To finalize the dangerous appearance, he had a katana strapped to his side.

Between the three it was obvious they where good friends and enjoyed working together. They always walked with each other, during which Naruto had learned that both Rurii and Narato where pretty sharp, since both were paying lots of attention to what was going on around them and had some witty retorts and discussions, while Teken was a bit slower on the uptake.

The Cloud's Team was an odd mixture that Naruto had rarely seen before. The majority of the team was females, with only one male in the mix. Further more, two of them – both black-skinned – looked like they were twins.

The team leader; was a blond-haired girl with an impressive chest, although she gave of a rather frigid appearance. She was wearing black, knee-height boots, a short black skirt and fishnet shirt, covered with a waist-length gray shirt, tied around her waist with a black belt, which held a wakizashi. Her arms were protected by red armguards, made of metal. Naruto hadn't learned her full name, only her first name: Samui.

Her two teammates were the dark-skinned twins and their behavior couldn't be much more different from their cold-acting squad leader. Both had similar appearances, wearing black pants, their shins covered in bandages, with a dark-blue shirt over their chest. Over the chest, they both wore grey jackets, which where held in place with white chest-guards. These where the first difference, between the two: the male, Omoi had his left shoulder protected, while the female, Karui had her right arm protected. Both also had a sword attached to their backs. Besides the difference in chest-guards, their biggest difference was in their hair: Karui had dull-red and long hair, while Omoi had short, spiky white hair. Omoi also seemed to never run out of lollypops, because Naruto never saw him without one. Naruto had also never seen the two siblings stop arguing with each other. They where worse then he had been with Sasuke!

"Konohamaru, Hanabi. Just be quiet until it's time to get to action. Take a nap or something. Just don't get all worked up over nothing." Naruto said, lying back in the grass. "Sometimes waiting's part of being a ninja, it's not all action and battles."

"Yeah, but this is just so looong!" Konohamaru whined.

"You've never trained with Kakashi-sensei have you? Even without real training from him, it's a great training for patience, he's always late." Naruto grinned at his two teammates.

Suddenly, Naruto turned around to face the mountain, a serious expression on his face. "Guess they decided to get out at last." Naruto said, looking at one of the openings. A few moments later, two teams appeared out of the openings in the mountain, before racing down towards the examiners.

One team was the team from Hidden Mist that Team 14 had met back in the forest towards Hidden Rock, with Minu at the lead. Izayoi was following some distance behind, a deadpan look on her face as before. It had been her charka, enhanced by her inner demon, that Naruto had felt seconds before.

The other team was from the Hidden Sand, and like the Cloud's team, it consisted of two women and a man. Both girls had long hair, one red and one blond, while the man had short green hair with bits of red in it. Upon taking a closer look – after hearing Hanabi gasp – Naruto saw that it wasn't red hair that the man had: there was blood from his red-haired teammate in his hair. The red-haired girl had a massive hole in her chest, just inches from her heart. From the scared looks that the Sand team was sending in Izayoi's direction, Naruto had a good idea on who it was that injured the girl.

"Reporting the completion of the exam." Spira told the examiner as she also handed in a perfect map. "From the Hidden Village of Mist, Spira Minu, Sen Chihiro and Izayoi are now handing over the completed map."

"It's the same for us." The blond girl said, quickly handing over her also fully written out map. Apparently, there where more teams that were cheating then just the ones holding a Jinchuuriki. "Tsuya Hiraganaka, Potamaru Manato and Haruzaki Kinhara reporting in and requesting the immediate attention of a medical ninja. On our way out, Kinhara received a critical injury."

The blond girl, Tsuya Hiraganaka, wore an almost completely green outfit. Dark green boots that reached her knees, stockings that where striped with dark and light green, short dark-green pants covered with a lighter-green split-skirt and no less then three different layers of shirts and tops. The bottom shirt was a very dark green and stopped just below her chest, with a fishnet covering her belly and reaching up to her shoulders. The final layer was a shirt that left her shoulders open and flew perfectly in the arm-warmers she was wearing, identically colored to he stockings.

Some distance behind her, Potamaru Manato was still holding on to their teammate, applying pressure to her wound to try and stop the bleeding; he wore mostly black-and-white clothes, and as opposed to Hiraganaka his clothes where all baggy and covered him up, rather then expose his appearance to the world. Black sandals, with white shin-guards, black pants and a white undershirt where all hidden from immediate sight by a large black overcoat, which ended in a skirt-like opening over his legs to allow for maximum movements. His high collar – rivaling Shino's – hid most of the facial expressions, but right now it didn't hide the worry for his teammate. His rather long spiky green hair was held in place by his forehead protector.

Before Naruto had a chance to take a good look at the wounded Kinhara, the one-eyed examiner stepped forth again, followed by a medic. The medic immediately pushed Manato back to get a good look at his patient. Despite being a medic himself, Rurii of the Hidden Rock didn't make a move to help. Naruto could perfectly well understand why not: medic or not, right now anyone would have to be considered as an enemy. Don't help your enemies was a basic rule.

While the medic was tending to the injured kunoichi, the examiner called all the genin towards her. When they had gathered, she stepped aside and bowed low as the Tsuchikage himself stepped forward.

"First off, allow me to congratulate you all for making it this far." The Tsuchikage started, looking at each team as he spoke. "Each of you has passed hard trials, but your hardest still lies before you. A last test before judges to decide who will be promoted and who will not. I see before me six teams, so we have a total of eighteen shinobi to have made it this far. The absolute maximum allowed for such exams. Before we continue, I will explain what the next exam is and where it will be."

In the crowd, all sixteen still-standing ninja and Jugo stiffened up to pay some more attention.

"The next exam will be an all-out open battle between each of you, held in a tournament inside the Hidden Village of the Rock. In a few moments, you will draw numbers to decide who you will match up against, and then you must prepare yourselves for battle. Those who wish to leave this exam now, say so before you draw a number, but know that you will have failed the exam by stopping now."

In the total silence that followed, Karin slowly raised her hand and spoke up.

"Tsuchikage-sama, I wish to withdraw from the tournament." She simply said, not giving any further explanation. The Tsuchikage looked at her for a few seconds before nodding. Karin, knowing she was dismissed, turned around and moved back a bit to wait for her teammates. At the same time, the medic that had been tending to Kinhara moved up and whispered something in the village leader's ear.

"Very well. Thank you." The robed Kage responded, dismissing the medic with a wave of his hand. "It seems that we now have an even number of sixteen competitors for the finals. The medic-nin has just informed me that Harukazi Kinhara has passed away from her injuries."

"NO!" both her teammates shouted in horror. Before they could turn around to see her, the Tsuchikage had raised his hand to silence them.

"You have completed the exam before her death; therefore you are still qualified to continue on to the finals. After we are done, you are free to see her but you cannot leave yet. We will ensure that her body is returned to your village for a burial. Now return your attention to the matter at hand."

The harsh words of the Tsuchikage stopped both Sand Shinobi from running away, but it didn't do anything to stop the sad looks on their faces.

"From now, you will have exactly four weeks to prepare for the next exam, so use anything you have discovered during these exams to prepare yourselves for battle. A month from now, in the stadium in the centre of the village, you will fight each other. Now, step forth to draw your numbers."

With furious steps, the two Sand ninja stepped forward to draw their numbers. Manato pulled out number eighteen, before placing it in the hands of another examiner taking the numbers.

"Pair me up with that bitch from Mist with the long hair and I'm going to kill her!" he exclaimed, pointing at Izayoi.

"Think that'll help you out?" Minu tauntingly asked. "This frosty bitch won't respond to a wimp's threat."

"Calm down for now Manato." Hiraganaka said as she pulled out the number seven. "Focus your anger to more profitable causes. Train and let your anger grow until your match." Although her words where wise, her own actions spoke against her. She was glaring daggers at Izayoi, arms shaking with fury as she stood and pulled out number seven.

After the Sand's team, the Rock team stepped forward. As team leader, Rurii pulled out the number first. With his number two, he had landed himself the honor of the opening match.

Narato went next and pulled out the one of the last number, fourteen. Finally, Tenken went and drew the number twelve. All three of them released a sigh of relief. They wouldn't have to face each other until well into the tournament.

The Mist's team went next. Chihiro, the male genjutsu specialist, drew out number one, so he knew he'd have to fight against Rurii. Locking eyes, the two men gave each other a small nod of acknowledgement. Minu went next and pulled out number seventeen.

"Damn it, why am I in the last fight?" she complained. "And up against that wimp too." She added insult to injury as she gave a mocking laugh in Manato's direction. Having knelt down to his teammate's body, the Sand shinobi didn't answer, instead holding the kunoichi's hand as he cried.

Izayoi went last and pulled out number five. With her trademark deadpan look, she handed it to the examiner, not even saying a thing.

Team Sound drew out the next set up numbers. Suigetsu came up with number three, so he didn't know his opponent yet. Jugo on the other hand, pulled out number thirteen. Looking around, he saw the blond Narato standing, carefully looking the huge orange-haired man over. Being in full control of himself, Jugo gave her a small smile, which she didn't return.

Team 14 stepped up to pull numbers after the Sound's where gone. Naruto was hoping to pull number four so he could fight Suigetsu right off the bat. He had no such luck, as he pulled out number nine. Hanabi pulled out number six, and turned her head towards Izayoi with fright. The inexperienced Hyuuga girl already knew she was no match for the far superior Mist Kunoichi. She was brought out of her trance by Konohamaru's shout, a mixture of horror and excitement.

Holding out his own number, Konohamaru raised it to show the clear number ten to his teammates. He would have to fight Naruto in their opening match.

The Cloud's team went last. Samui drew number eight, paring her up against Hiraganaka, while Omoi's number eleven made him fight against fellow sword-wielder Teken. Finally, Karui pulled out number four, matching up against Suigetsu for another swordfight.

Before they could leave, the examiner that had written down showed them their matchups one last time.

First match: Sen Chihiro of the Hidden Mist versus Pyonatara Rurii of the Hidden Rock.

Second match: Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound versus Karui of the Hidden Cloud

Third match: Izayoi of the Hidden Mist versus Hyuuga Hanabi of the Hidden Leaf

Fourth match: Tsuya Hiraganaka of the Hidden Sand versus Samui of the Hidden Cloud

Fifth match: Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf versus Sarutobi Konohamaru of the Hidden Leaf

Sixth match: Omoi of the Hidden Cloud versus Warupo Teken of the Hidden Rock

Seventh match: Jugo of the Hidden Sound versus Yuko Narato of the Hidden Rock

Final match: Spira Minu of the Hidden Mist versus Potamaru Manato of the Hidden Sand.

XxX

"Hey Ero-Sennin." Naruto asked later that night, as they had returned to their room after a victory dinner. "When was the last time that teams from all five Great Ninja Nations made it to the finals of a Chuunin Exam?"

Looking up from the book he was reading – a proof-read for his latest book before sending it to his editors– Jiraiya responded.

"Some time ago, it's pretty rare, but not unheard of. In most exams the majority of teams to make it to the finals are from the village hosting the event. They not only have several advantages but often the examiners are biased towards them. More teams in the finals means that the village will look better. Why?"

"Because we have six teams taking part in the exam next month each from a different village. And the Tsuchikage and other examiners didn't look at all surprised at any team, other then the Sound one. And normally they don't allow this many people to take part in the finals, it would take way too much time. It's odd."

"Grandpa once told me that usually, they don't allow more then five teams to take part in the finals." Konohamaru added; interested in where the conversation was going. "But why didn't they make us do prelims?"

"That's a good question." Hanabi said from her bed, glad to finally look around with her own eyes again. "But there's something else that's strange as well. I noticed that the teams from the Mist and Sand handed in perfectly filled out maps, way more detailed then anything they should have been able to make in that time. Something fishy is going on with this exam."

"Yeah, it's weird. Especially since they weren't the only ones who got a filled out map. We also had one." Naruto said after a nod from Jiraiya. The team had now passed a point in the exam where they could relax in any way and they had already discovered the cheating on their own. They deserved to learn the secret now. "And I'm willing to bet that the team from Cloud and Rock also had completed maps. That's why they got out so fast."

"What!?" both kids yelled at the same time. "We had a completed map?" Konohamaru added a second later, while Hanabi yelled "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Quiet down, both of you!" Jiraiya ordered as the two practically jumped up from their previous locations and dashed towards their mentor. "We didn't tell you because we wanted you to learn just how dangerous these exams and the life of a shinobi can be and we were afraid you would get careless. Yes, you were handed a free ticket out of the exams right away, but you passed each exam on your own strength and you have learned much in the meantime. Now sit down."

"But if a team from each nation is gathered…" Naruto softly, "that would mean that all five Kage's would appear at the exam to offer support to their ninja. It would be nearly perfect to use as a trap for someone or something, with all the powerful ninja in the world gathered in this village."

"But…" Konohamaru started. "What kind of trap could that be?"

"There are several ones I can think off. First and foremost is that someone is trying to set a trap for all the kages. If they're all here, it's easy to assassinate them all at once. Or, attack the other villages while their leaders are gone. But, of course, it could also be a trap that the Kage's made for some other purpose. Do you have any idea, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto finished up with a meaningful look at the sage.

"Nothing you haven't mentioned before." Jiraiya simply said, turning back to his book. The meaning was clear to Naruto, even if it eluded Konohamaru and Hanabi: Jiraiya already knew exactly what was going on, but he had been ordered to stay silent. And only one person in the world could order Jiraiya to do anything. So, that meant that Tsunade knew about this plan. It was the final conformation Naruto needed.

The Kages were up to something and he would find out what it was.

XxX

"Well Kabuto-san, how is it?" Jugo asked as Kabuto finished his examination.

"Well, so far it looks like you'll be alright." The spectacled medic answered. "The jutsu is still in place and your hormone levels have returned to a normal state. You should be fine for the next few days, but just for safety sake, don't leave the room. If you start a rampage outside, you'll ruin this mission. And if this mission fails, you won't get the reward that's been promised."

"Yes, I know. I'll stay indoors. I don't want to risk hurting anyone." Jugo said, sitting down on the bed and reaching for a glass of milk.

"Just make sure you lose that attitude by the time of the exam." Kabuto added, looking over at Suigetsu. "You can't let softness take control of you in a battle. If you can't fight, you will never get your reward."

"And what about me?" Suigetsu asked, as Kabuto used a quick diagnostic technique on his body.

"Well, you really pushed yourself this time, Suigetsu-kun." Kabuto said a second later. "Your body was able to hold the strain, but only barely. Next time you try to use this much chakra, just allow the transformation to take place; it absorbs a part of the strain. You should be alright with some rest, so take the next three days off before you start your training for the finals."

"Oh and Karin." He added looking at the redhead. "Now that your tasks here are completed, Orochimaru-sama wishes that you return to the northern hideout to look over some of the other test subjects there. Orochimaru-sama will meet up with you there after the exams are over."

"Very well, Kabuto-san." She said, lifting up her bag and moving out the door. A few seconds later, Suigetsu stood up and, with an annoyed look on his face, and jumped out of the open window.

"I'm going to do some training. Don't wait for me with dinner."

Sighing, Kabuto spoke up again.

"I could have sworn I told him to relax. Not jump around through this village. Oh well, I'll just let him run around for a bit to cool off. Maybe a sleeping powder in his dinner will make him a bit more able to relax tonight."

XxX

"Kiyaah!" Konohamaru shouted as he stabbed his staff forward, moving into a rotation and finishing the maneuver up with a powerful smash. Some distance to his side, Hanabi was continuously throwing punches and kicks in the air, flowing from one move to another with a discipline that had been drilled into her since she was five. Not stopping himself, Konohamaru quickly moved into another attack pattern that Asuma had taught him, this time parrying an imaginary punch from a imaginary foe and countering it.

While Hanabi and Konohamaru where in shadowing under Jiraiya's watchful eye – when he was looking at them, instead of peaking at girls walking by the village road with his spyglass – Naruto was instead running around the training area. It was the day after the second exam and, after much discussion; Jiraiya had ordered the team to prepare for training in the morning. Hanabi and Konohamaru would have to prepare for their first match intensely so they could give a good performance, while Naruto was doing some training that he had discussed with Jiriaya after his teammates went to sleep.

It didn't sit well that he had to keep secrets from his teammates every step of the way, but there was no avoiding it with this training. If they accidently told someone about what he was preparing for, it could ruin his plan.

Like all other teams, the Tsuchikage had appointed them a training area at the border of the village to prepare in relative peace and quiet. For the past four hours, since they arrived, the two youngsters had been going through their battle moves, imagining their enemies, while Naruto did nothing but run, run and then run some more. He started out with some slow-passed jogging, moved up to mild running, before going running at a high speed. And, for the past half hour, Naruto had been doing nothing but intense, high-speed dashes, each well over five hundred meters long.

"Alright guys, time for lunch." Jiraiya said as he rolled out a scroll and unsealed the food inside. The trio of genin immediately assaulted their food like a bunch of starved grizzly bears. A few minutes later, Naruto had already devoured his third portion of pasta, while Konohamaru and Hanabi took second servings as well.

"Well, after you eat dinner, I'm going to tell you two about what things you can and cannot do in a one-on-one fight. Even in a one-on-one you have to be careful of your surroundings, and even more so, on what Gen- and Ninjutsu you use. Naruto, you've already heard all of it before, go and do some more laps in the meantime. Run three training fields ahead, then turn around and run back. Then three in the other direction and come back. That should keep you busy for at least an hour or two."

His dinner finished, Naruto got up and started a slow jog again.

"And be sure to increase your speed every twenty minutes." Jiraiya added as Naruto left. "Now, for you two; in a one-on-one fight, it's even more important to be careful with what techniques and attacks you use, because you don't have teammates to protect you if you make a mistake. So, first off I want you to think of techniques and tactics to use against your opponents in the first round. You have five minutes and I want at least ten different tactics from each of you."

XxX

"Hey Sakura, what's up?" Ino asked as Sakura arrived at the restaurant that she had called everyone to meet. By now, Sakura was already used to the looks some of the male villagers were giving her in her green-and-short outfit, so she once again walked with confidence.

"Yeah, you suddenly told all of us to meet here like that, something must be up." Kiba said. "Although it's pretty rare that we're all in the village at the same time these days. This should be some good fun, though I've got to start another week-long mission tommorow."

"Well, I'll get right to it then." Sakura said, pulling a scroll out of her pouch. "I got a letter from Naruto this morning, at the same time as Jiraiya-sama sent his official report. Naruto's new team passed all the exams so far and they're going to the finals!"

"Alright!" Kiba exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air for emphases. "It's about time that idiot got some work done! So, when's the final going to be?"

"Three and a half week from now." Hinata said. "Hanabi-chan also sent us a letter to tell us about passing the exams. She sounded really happy, although she said that she has a bad match-up in the first round."

"Three and a half weeks huh?" Chouji asked, taking a sip of his drink. "Does that mean Naruto will come back to Konoha for training in the meantime, or is he going to stay in the Hidden Rock all the time?"

"They're staying in Rock; they'd waste too much time traveling back and forth between Konoha." Sakura replied, handing the letter over so other could read it as well. "But what's more, he's invited all of us to go to Hidden Rock and see the finals."

"Bragging much?" Tenten remarked from her seat. "He's asking us to come and see him win a tournament from a couple of genin? We already know he's plenty strong, he could fight almost on-par with a Jounin three years ago."

"Hanabi-chan said that there are a couple of other people present who are just as strong as Naruto-kun." Hinata suddenly said. "There where some people, although she didn't really mention names, that made Naruto-kun a bit nervous. Maybe that's why he wants us to come?"

"Yeah well, even if that's not the reason, I think I'll go over there anyway." Kiba said, before turning towards Hinata with an amused look on his face. "Cause you'll be going for sure, right Hina? Can't let you travel through all those dangerous forests alone, isn't that right Shino?"

"What'd you mean, Kiba-kun!?" Hinata asked with a fire-red face.

"I disagree." Shino said, "Hinata is strong enough to travel to the Hidden Rock on her own quiet easily. However, I am interested in Naruto's growth, so I think it would be worth while to follow up on his request. And besides that… isn't this what comrades do?"

The others all nodded in agreement, with Neji holding Lee back before he could shout out loud how he agreed with Shino and somehow find another way to use the word 'youthful.' Before they could say anything more though, a messenger ninja suddenly appeared in front of them.

"By order of the Hokage, Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chouji, Rock Lee and Tenten are summoned to the top of Hokage Tower. The Niju Shotai is summoned."

XxX

Somewhere else, hidden deep in a cave at a secret location, several shady figures gathered. None of them where actually present, but a special technique created fake images of them, allowing each to see and hear all the others. This was the meeting of Akatsuki, called forth by their leader.

"So, why the fuck are we here?" Hidan demanded, clearly annoyed. "You fucking interrupted my ceremony, so you'd better have a damn good reason for this!"

"Will you shut up for once!" Kakuzu said, also annoyed. "Instead of your good-for-nothing ritual, this might actually be useful for something."

"You shut up, heathen. My ritual is important!"

"Quiet, both of you." The Leader ordered them. "I've called for this meeting because something interesting is going on right now. Zetsu."

"Of course." The plant-like man said. "We'll explain right away. As you know, right now there are Chuunin exams being held at the Hidden Rock."

"And they hold a new exam every few fucking months, what's the damn point?" Hidan interrupted.

"Shut up!" Zetsu's other voice snapped. "This exam is interesting because of who's fighting in it. Teams of each Great Nation have made it to the finals."

"Amongst them are two Jinchuuriki." The first voice continued. "Uzumaki Naruto of the Leaf, holding Kyuubi, and Izayoi from the Mist, holding Fénguàng. Both are targets we have been looking for, for some time now."

"That's odd." Kisame suddenly said. "It hasn't happened in well over thirty years that all Great Nations had a team in the finals."

"Yes, it's most peculiar." Itachi added, clearly thinking. "If all five nations have a team; that means all five Kage's will be there. That means that the Raikage and his new bodyguard, the Two-Tails Jinchuuriki will be there as well."

"Hmm… that sounds almost too good, yeah." Deidara said. "Three Jinchuuriki that we have been looking for and that proved difficult to find, all in one place…Yeah, definitely suspicious"

"It's obvious it's a trap." Kakuzu stated, looking around. "They want us to go to the tournament, when it's easiest to infiltrate a Hidden Village, and try to catch the Jinchuuriki. And while we try to capture them, the Kage's and other ninja try to capture or kill us."

"You're probably right." The Leader said, opening his pupil-less eyes and looking at the other Akatsuki members. "But we're heavily underestimated."

"Yes we are, Tobi thinks so too!" the most junior, orange-masked member piped up. "If they're giving away invitations to dinner, Tobi thinks we should answer! Tobi likes free dinner! And a show at dinner, Tobi loves a show even more then dinner!"

"Tobi, shut your trap already you stupid idiot." Deidara ordered.

"But Senpai…"

"Can we hurry the fuck up? I'm still sitting in the rain and that dead monk's body is beginning to smell. I don't know why the fuck we have to keep dragging people like him around." Hidan complained.

"It's because he's worth well over twenty million, that's why we carry him around." Kakazu bit back. "Now shut your trap, we've got more important things to discuss. And if you can't stay quiet, then get the hell out."

"That's enough." The last member, the only female in Akatsuki, said as she created a seal. At once, all other members except the leader and Zetsu had something blocking their mouths, preventing them from speaking up. "Now be silent for a bit, or this meeting will last much longer then it has too."

"Thank you Konan." The Leader said, not even looking at the kunoichi. "Now, as Tobi said, it would be rude to ignore their polite invitation. They wish to spring a trap for us so we can be defeated. And to set the trap they have placed an alluring bait. But they underestimate our strength. Kakuzu, take Hidan to the Hidden Rock on the day of the exam. Evaluate the situation and take action as you see fit, but bring me those Jinchuuriki! That is all."

With a final gesture of the Leader, all the images except for the Leader and Konan faded out.

"Are you sure this is wise? Kakuzu is strong, and Hidan won't die, but they won't stand a chance against all five Kage's at once."

"I know." The Leader said, again not looking at the blue-haired kunoichi. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

A/N:

Another rather big chapter, less action packed then the last one, but necessary to set up for the fights that will be heading your way soon. Keep a look out for the next chapter, because the Chuunin Exam Finals are about to start! I hope you weren't too confused with all the new characters being introduced, even if they're only temporarily.

And before people mention that at this point, Hidan and Kakuzu have already captured Yugito, that didn't happen in this story. Yugito will appear as a character in a later chapter.

Response to reviews:

Hektols says that Naruto can use Ninjutsu in his tailed form because of his usage of the Rasengan.

Personally I think Naruto is incapable of using any Ninjutsu that requires the usage of handseals (so in effect, anything other then the Rasengan or – in this story – the Fox Fist). That's what I meant when I said no Ninjutsu. No Shadow Clones, Henge's, Kawamiri's or whatever.

Much thanks to my beta's Kushin eX for reading this chapter over and correcting any mistakes I've made. also thanks to Legendary Chikyuu-nin for pointing out a mistake that i made.

As always, please review and tell me what you think of the chapter.


	36. Chapter 36

NA 36:

Disclaimer: don't own anything from the Naruto universe, never will.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

"Why don't you tuck in as well?" Jiraiya asked Naruto, the both of them reading a book. "You could use the rest; your mind needs to recover from training as much as your body."

"I'm not tired." Naruto simply said, flipping a page in his book. "I'll go to bed when I'm done reading this. But those two are really exhausted each night, aren't they?"

"Yeah they are. It's a good sign they are too." The Sennin answered. "If they weren't tired, it'd mean that either the training is too light or they're not doing their best. Each day for the last week the training has becomes tougher for them and each day they complete it. I have to admit that I'm actually pretty impressed with how they've been keeping up so far. Their determination easily matches yours."

Naruto didn't answer; a sudden silence ruling over the room. For a second, the only movement was a small twitch below Naruto's left eye, Jiraiya revealed nothing other then performing a quick scan of the room with his eyes. Placing the book on the table with the pages down so he could quickly get back to where he was, Naruto stood up and walked to the next room.

"Gotta, use the toilet." He said as he walked through the door.

On the roof some three buildings away, Gota Jiyu was carefully looking over at the room that the team of Konoha shinobi was staying in. There was nothing going on in the room, so he prepared himself to move a bit closer. There was no-one around that had noticed him yet. As he moved over to the next roof, climbing rather then jumping as to avoid detection by a patrol, the Jounin of the Hidden Mist was barely in time to avoid a punch to his face.

Only pure instinct saved him from having his nose crushed, rolling away just in time to avoid the punch of the black-robe wearing blond.

"What the?" the Jounin softly exclaimed. "How'd yo-" before he could say anything more, four large tongues erupted from the rooftop he was standing on and wrapped around his limbs, immobilizing him. In the same instant, the legendary Jiraiya had appeared behind Jiyu.

"Why are you here? And why are you trying to sneak up on us?" Jiraiya demanded immediately. His hands where already in the form of a seal, ready to torment or kill the Jounin should he try to resist. Naruto was still standing in his fighting stance as well, keeping an eye on the Mist Nin. The Toad Tongue Bind was a useful technique, but it was by no means unbreakable.

"I'm not here as an enemy!" Jiyu stated, not even struggling against his holds. "I have come here for my own purpose to speak with Uzumaki Naruto."

"What have you come to talk about that would require you to sneak across the rooftops instead of coming to us by the hotel door?" Jiraiya asked, still not releasing his technique.

"It's not a secret as decided by the Mizukage or someone else, but rather an item I wanted to deliver to him myself. I decided to come over the rooftops to avoid civilians creating rumors about an alliance between the Mist and the Leaf. Already there are whispers among them why so many different teams made it to the finals."

"Speak your business." Naruto demanded, still not lowering his stance. "Why do you want to speak to me and what do you want to give me?"

Not moving, not even to make eye contact, Jiyu spoke up while he faced the stars.

"Around twenty-five years ago, I was a genin for the Hidden Whirlpool, the same age as you are now." He began. "Like all others, my team consisted of three members. One of them is someone I thought would interest you: Uzumaki Kushina."

The name meant nothing to Naruto, although he realized that, based on the family name, this Kushina could be a family member of his. Jiraiya on the other hand, opened his eyes a fraction of an inch further. To anyone other than Naruto it would have been invisible, but Naruto knew his master well. Jiraiya knew that name.

"You knew Kushina?" the white-haired man asked, confirming Naruto's suspicions. "Why are you here then? You know that she's dead."

"Yes she is, and I was sorry to hear it." Jiyu still didn't move at all. "But I knew her when she was alive, that was why I gave you my warning back in the forest."

"And why are you here now?"

"It had been my intention to give you a picture I had of her, since I had come to understand that she had not had any pictures taken when she was in the Hidden Leaf."

"And why should I care?"

"I thought that you would like to know what your mother looked like."

The clear and sudden answer struck Naruto like a lightning bold on a cloudless, clear sky. His mother? But how? He'd never even heard anything about his parents before… he didn't move for a few seconds, still trying to process the information. Jiraiya, in the meantime, had not been so stunned. He had known of Naruto's family, just never said anything to his pupil, so he was quick to recover.

"Where's the picture?" he asked, still not releasing his technique.

"In my left pocket, take it out if you still don't trust me."

Jiraiya did just that. Pulling the picture out of Jiyu's pocket, he looked at it for a second before handing it over.

"It's the red-haired girl." Jiraiya said, although it was unnecessary. Kushina was the only girl in the picture, her red hair held up in a ponytail as she stood next to a much younger Jiyu, another boy that Naruto didn't know and an older man, obviously her sensei. Naruto only looked at the picture for a second before pocketing it. He needed to know more, this was not the time to get lost in a picture.

"Why are you giving me this picture? And why are you with the Mist now if you once belonged to the Whirlpool? Did you betray them?" he demanded.

"No, I didn't." Jiyu said, although there was not even a hint of venom at being called a traitor. "The Land of Whirlpool was a small but wealthy country. We had many deep caves that where filled with precious metals, making our country rich. But the Whirlpool was only a small country, with an even smaller military. Our neighbor, the power Nation of Water, decided that they wanted our riches to add to their own. Twenty-four years ago, they declared war on us and attacked. We tried to fight them off, each shinobi, whether Jounin or student was send to the front lines, but it was all useless. We fought for a little over a month with little to no sleep and even less food. The Whirlpool was absorbed into the Nation of Water, all of the ninja offered a chance to either become part of the Mist of be executed. I chose the first. It was still in the time that the Hidden Mist was called the Bloody Mist."

"So?" Naruto was wondering what exactly this had to do with his mother, although the history could be useful.

"Their entrance test was to kill my remaining teammate, the other boy you see on the picture. By killing him, I saved my own life." For the first time since arriving, he showed a hint of emotion, looking displeased at the memory of having killed his friend.

"And what does this have to do with Kushina?" Jiraiya aksed. "She had already left the Whirlpool by the time the war started."

"Is that what she told you?" Jiyu asked, neither mocking nor ridiculing. He was simply inquiring. "She lied." Silence reigned once again, letting Jiyu's sentence lie heavily in the air.

"She didn't flee before the war started. She fled two days after we were captured. We were at the front, along with many other genin teams, people who we had known for years, but none of us could recognize each other anymore. A month without rest, in constant battle had done us more harm then we could have imagined. Always we were thinking about when we would be defeated, when we would die. What hope did we have against one of the Five Great Ninja Nations? The strain got to us the day before we were overtaken."

"What'd you mean?" Naruto asked, dreading the answer already.

"Kushina was the only girl that was still alive in that area, we were all stressed out and we were all scared of dying. Before anyone really knew what had happened, someone had jumped at her, holding her to the ground. No-one, not even Joshua and I, protested. I… I'm not proud of what happened that day, but in the end it was what saved Kushina. The Mist overtook us and mistook her for a civilian woman, not killing her. Two days later she managed to escape. I had not heard of her for a long time, until I heard that she had died after giving birth to a child: you."

"You… You mean that you…"

"Yes, we did. That is the reason that I gave you the picture and the warning: to ease my own consciousness for what I have done. For no other reason then that. Don't expect me to save your life, or risk my life for you. No debt remains."

"We'll see about that!" Naruto yelled as he charged forward. Before Naruto reached the older man, however, Jiyu exploded into smoke, leaving behind a log.

XxX

Sitting down under their favorite tree for lunch, Konohamaru and Hanabi looked on as Naruto kept up his dashing even longer. It was all he did these days: either he was running around or he was fighting against his Shadow clones. They had been training intensely for two weeks, already half the time had passed before the tournament.

"You know; this last week Naruto-nii-chan has been training even more intensely then before. He doesn't even stop his training for lunch, unless Jiraiya-sensei forces him to." Konohamaru said as he took a sip of his drink.

"You're right." Hanabi agreed, already done with her food and enjoying the few minutes of rest before Jiraiya's next lecture started. "But it's not that he increased his training or anything. If anything, it's almost like… like he's obsessed with training or something."

"Well, remember what Jiraiya-sensei told us?" Konohamaru asked.

Last week both youngsters had woken up to find Naruto already gone from the room, his bed looking as if he hadn't even slept in it. Jiraiya had been waiting for them, motioning for them to sit down while he explained what they had learned the night before.

"Of course," Hanabi said. "I can imagine that he's angry because of it, especially since Sensei said that he can't go and take revenge on that guy."

"You know…" Konohamaru suddenly said, his eyes never leaving Naruto as he increased the speed of his running again. The more I see Nii-chan like this, the more I get scared and I feel totally helpless."

The young Hyuuga didn't know how to react to the sudden conversion, having never really allowed herself to admit her emotions and weaknesses like that. No-one in the Hyuuga ever spoke of their weaknesses. Even Hinata had never really spoken to anyone in the clan about her lack of confidence.

"I've always looked up to Nii-chan, ever since we first met, because he did what I never really could do, no matter how hard I tried it. He went against what everyone else wanted of him and simply did what he wanted to do for himself. I wanted to be able to do that, but Grandpa, Asuma-ossan or even Ebisu-sensei stopped me. They all told me what I was supposed to do, never allowing me to do things on my own. That's why I've been training as much as I could. I wanted to become as strong as Nii-chan, so I could do what I wanted, become how I wanted to become. And I know I'm still weak, that's one thing I've learned in this exam, but I still want to grow stronger. Grow and grow until one day I'm able to look him in the eye and challenge him to a fight."

During his little speech, Konohamaru seemed to have regained some of his normal spirit and vigor, but suddenly it all seemed to be drained from his body.

"But you know… I know I can't defeat Nii-chain right now. It scares me, the thought of having to fight him when he's so much stronger then I am. I want to see if I've gotten any closer to him, but I feel like all that's happened in these past years is that he's only gotten further and further away. I'm not ready to fight him yet…"

Hanabi didn't say anything, instead placing an awkward hand on Konohamaru's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. She didn't know what to say, because she was still stunned herself. Konohamaru's sudden confession had made Hanabi realize something while he spoke: he was both excited and scared of his match. He wanted to fight, but at the same time didn't want to.

"It is better then how I'm feeling." She suddenly heard herself say. "At least you'll be able to get something from your fight. You can see just how far you still have to go to reach Naruto-san. But me… I think that… I'm scared. Just scared, nothing more;" It felt odd to let those words leave her mouth, but at the same time it felt liberating as well. "I'm scared of fighting Izayoi-san, because she's so strong. She killed that other Sand Ninja without a problem, not even flinching about it. What if she kills me just as easily?"

Much like Hanabi, Konohamaru had no idea how to comfort the black-haired girl. So instead, he mimicked her gesture of placing a hand on her shoulder.

XxX

"_Hello, Naruto-kun." Hinata's sweet voice sounded as her arms circled around Naruto from behind, hugging him tight. Naruto didn't even try to return her hug, simply standing still and feeling __her press herself__ against him. Hinata wasn't bothered by his uncharacteristic stoic behavior, but she released the hug and slowly walked around to stand in front of him, swaying her hips seductively all the wile. Looking at Naruto with a sulky look, she placed on finger on his lips._

"_Maybe this will help cheer you up a bit." She said as she leaned up to him, softly pressing her lips to his own. A few seconds into the kiss, Hinata's tongue slipped out of her mouth, adding another pressure to Naruto's __non-responding__ lips. Feeling the coercion, Naruto suddenly snapped, roughly pushing back against Hinata's mouth as he attacked her lips aggressively. His tongue shot out and pushed against hers. His kiss wasn't anything like Hinata's had been; her kiss had been sweet and __loving. His__ kiss was angry and dominant. His arms shot around her body, holding her firmly in place, even against her wishes._

"_Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked when he pulled back for a few seconds. He didn't answer her, instead leaning in to claim her lips once again. Naruto's right hand left Hinata's back, instead gliding to her belly. With one arm now freed, Hinata's arm slipped in between Naruto and herself, but it didn't stop the blonde's assault on the black-haired beauty's mouth. _

_Still lingeri__ng around Hinata's belly-button; Naruto's right hand opened up, immediately shredding Hinata's shirt and anything underneath it. Unable to do anything but yelp, Hinata's chest was displayed for Naruto to stare at all he wanted._

"_Naruto-kun, what are you doing? Please, stop that." she whimpered, but Naruto was immune to her plea. Slowly, deliberately and anticipating the feeling to come, Naruto raised his highly sensitive right hand to cup on of her ample breasts. At long last, as if it had taken his hands hours to travel those few inches, Naruto's hand finally felt the soft yet firm flesh._

Awakening with a start, Naruto's blue eyes shot open revealing the now-familiar ceiling of the hotel room to him. As always he could feel the effects of having Hinata visit him in his dreams again. She had been a daily 'guest' in his dreams ever since the second exam, but this last week she had been absent, ever since Jiyu had given his message concerning Naruto's mother's fate.

Raising his hand and placing it on his face, Naruto realized what was going on.

"This has to stop…" he softly told himself. "I've been way too angry this entire week. I'm shooting down Konohamaru and Hanabi, even when they've done nothing wrong… and now this. Even in my dreams I'm being way too angry and aggressive. My own dreams where talking back to me, damn it."

Knowing that sleep wouldn't come to him again once waking up, Naruto slowly got out of bed, took a glass with some fruit juice and sat down on the roof of the hotel. With most of the lights in the Village of the Rock turned off, he had quite a view of the stars up in the sky. It was a pretty and calming image, just what Naruto needed right now.

"I've let what that bastard Jiyu said get too me way too much." Naruto finally concluded after a few minutes of silence. "I've got to stop thinking about it. He told me that he hurt the woman who was my mother, but what right to revenge do I have? I've never even known her, let alone know if she loved me or not. I never even knew her name until he told me. She may have been the one to have given birth to me, like that Bastard and Ero-Sennin say, but she could have just as well be a stranger to me. I can't afford to become too absorb in all this…"

XxX

"I'm sorry, Asuma."

Nara Shikamaru was crouching down next to a tombstone, a lit cigarette in his mouth, his hands busy lighting another.

"If only I'd figured out their abilities sooner… if only I was stronger… if only I could have held onto that damn immortal a bit longer… you'd still be alive right now… I'm sorry I failed like that."

Shikamaru placed the second cigarette on the tombstone, his last tribute to his teacher and friend.

"I'm going to get back at them; I'll hunt down Akatsuki and destroy them, one by one. But first, I'm going to see Naruto and his team in the exams over Rock. Before I go hunting down Hidan, I'll tell Konohamaru what happened to you. I'll have to tell him that his heroic uncle is gone…" Shikamaru paused for a second, exhaling smoke as he did.

"I'll be going along with the others, along with Kakashi-sensei, Hyuga Hiashi-dono and even Kurenai-sensei. She's getting quite a belly by now. We'll all make sure that nothing happens to her. I'm going to make sure that your kid will grow up safe and sound, as one of the strongest in all of Konoha."

Shikamaru exhaled his smoke again as he stood up. He said one more line before turning around and going to the gate where they where all gathering to form Tsunade's unusually large bodyguard group.

"See you later."

XxX

'Only two days before the tournament begins', Suigetsu thought to himself as he watched the sun disappear behind the horizon. He was on his second break for the day, his first having been a lunch break. From his designated training area, atop a small mountain, he had a perfect view of the surrounding area.

He had already seen Orochimaru and Kabuto making their way over, walking towards him as if they were simply taking a stroll in a garden.

"What do you want, Orochimaru?" The blue-haired swordsman demanded.

"Kukuku, why so rude Suigetsu-kun?" the legendary snake-ninja chuckled. "You should be a little more respectful to your superiors."

"Then why should I show respect to you, you snake bastard?"

"Stop talking to Orochimaru-sama like that!" Kabuto yelled in outrage, but he was silenced by Orochimaru raising his hand.

"Rudeness and respectless behavior aside, you've done a good job so far. Karin has told me about your reluctance in killing Naruto-kun in the second exam. Reluctance is not something that you should have in this world. Make sure that you will not feel so the next time you have a chance."

"I won't. And I couldn't have killed him in the cave. Although we used up a similar amount of chakra, my body was much more strained because I tried to keep my normal form. If we'd have fought then and there, I wouldn't have won."

"Quite something to admit; coming from you. But in the exam you will have to complete the mission I gave your team. You and Jugo have to kill Uzumaki Naruto during the tournament. We can not allow Akatsuki to gain control over him. Ensure his death, no matter what, now that you have a free license to kill him without any consequences. Now, let's go. It's time to awaken Jugo from his slumber. Your training is over, for now you must recover your strength to fight in the tournament."

XxX

"Walking amongst all these fucking heathens makes me want to sacrifice them all to Jashin-sama." Hidan complained, walking through the main streets of the Hidden Rock. Thanks to a genjutsu that Itachi had cast upon them, he now appeared as a common peasant, holding a piece of farming equipment over his shoulder instead of his large scythe.

"Will you shut up already! This technique disguises our appearance, but it doesn't stop others from hearing what we say" Kakazu was walking next to Hidan, talking in an unusually high voice. Itachi's genjutsu made him appear as the wife of a farmer. "And don't worry about pleasing your stupid god. Pretty soon the violence will start and he'll be plenty pleased. Now let's go, I want to go and bet some money on the outcome of this tournament, we can make some good money really fast."

"You and your accursed money"

"Better my money then your stupid god. At least I know money exists."

"You dare insult Jashin-sama?" Hidan sounded outraged by now. "I'll fucking ki-" Kakusu quickly clamped his mouth over Hidan's mouth, trusting the genjutsu to make it look a little nicer then a woman trying to suffocate her husband, while internally cursing Hidan's stupidity. The man was a strong fighter and a useful aid because he couldn't die, but other than that he was a fucking moron. How on earth he ever got allowed into Akatsuki when he hadn't even completed so much as basic ninja training was beyond the aged Ninjutsu-master.

XxX

As Konohamaru walked through the halls of the tournament dome he could feel tension growing in his body. Not only was he now going to meet up with the Hokage and several other ninja – almost all friends of Naruto-nii-chan – but tournament would start in about half an hour.

Having already felt the tension – still there despite Naruto-nii-chan's return to normal behavior a week or so ago – Konohamaru had excused himself to use the bathroom. It had taken a lot of willpower to stop himself from releasing his nerves by throwing up.

Finally he reached the room where all the Konoha shinobi were gathered. It contained Sakura-nee-san, as well as three other complete teams. Hinata-san's team was there, along with Kurenai-sensei and Hanabi and Hinata's father. They were all talking to the young Hyuuga, listening to her report on the exam and her trainings.

Next Konohamaru noticed the team of Lee-san, with their eccentric leader Gai. Neji was standing next to Hyuuga Hiashi, talking with Tenten, while Lee and Gai had were talking with Naruto. The Hokage, Shizune-san, Sakura-nee-chan and Kakashi-sensei were also talking to the blond team leader. Finally, he saw Asuma-ossan's team talking to each other in the corner, but unlike other teams they didn't have their teacher with them.

'Where's Ossan?' Konohamaru thought, before he caught a specific scent in the air. 'Must be out for more cigarettes; I can smell the stench of his cigarettes.'

At that moment Ino had noticed that Konohamaru had arrived as well and she nudged Shikamaru. His shoulders suddenly stiff with tension, the pineapple-head turned around and looked at Konohamaru.

The moment he saw Shikamaru's face, Konohamaru knew there was something wrong. Not only did the Nara look pretty bad, but he was smoking a familiar-looking cigarette. It was the same brand as Asuma always smoked. Glancing around again, the young ninja suddenly saw the signs of strain on Kurenai-sensei's pretty face as well.

"Hey, Konohamaru," Shikamaru finally said as he stepped forward. The sheer tone of his voice was enough to silence the others in the room, even Hyuuga Hiashi. "I have to talk to you…"

"It's Uncle Asuma, isn't it?" Konohamaru suddenly heard himself saying. Shikamaru nodded without making eye contact, looking all the more depressed.

"Yeah…" Shikamaru inhaled powerfully, making the cigarette light up for a second before continuing. "Asuma died two weeks ago, in a battle with Akatsuki. We were on a mission to track them down after they had attacked the Temple of Fire, but they were too strong for us."

Not saying anything, Konohamaru bowed his head a little, looking at the ground, before turning around so he wouldn't have to face anyone else.

"I'm going to go after them." Shikamaru's voice was laced with venom as he spoke of his intentions. "The pair who took Asuma from you; Asuma relied on me come up with a plan and that's what I'm doing. For these immortals, it'll be checkmate. Your job is going to be to finish these exams and then, be a man for future Sarutobis."

The brown-haired genin nodded his head without turning around; then left to enter the arena as the gates had just opened. No-one spoke again, Tsunade only looking at Shikamaru with a look of disapproval, as Hanabi and Naruto prepared to also move towards the arena. Hanabi gave a quick bow to her father, sister and teacher before also giving a polite bow to Jiraiya and Tsunade and also moving out of the gate, her steps slow and controlled. The control she exercised while walking almost hid the shaking of her knees.

Naruto received a 'good luck' from Sakura, Hinata, Tsunade and Ino, high-fived Kiba, Chouji and Lee, received an encouraging nod from all the teachers, Tenten, Neji and Shino before walking past Shikamaru. As he walked past the Nara, he placed a hand of the taller boy's shoulder, slightly squeezing it to give some support. Shikamaru removed his cigarette from his mouth and grinned at Naruto.

"Go show them what Konoha's really made of." Naruto nodded in return as he walked out of the gate. Everyone else in the room used the overly familiar white-smoke transportation technique to quickly reach their seats. Tsunade, Sakura and Ino, being the Hokage and her protégé's, were placed in the Village Leader's box far above the remaining crowd.

"Kukuku, it has been a long time, Tsunade-hime." Orochimaru chuckled as soon as the Hokage entered the box. As another village leader whose genin had made it this far, he was allowed a seat in this box. Fortunately, he had chosen the seat on the far distant side of where Tsunade sat down. Secret alliance to destroy Akatsuki or not, if the Hokage went and attacked a village leader while in any place not named Konoha there would be a war between Great Ninja Nations right away. Not to mention that Orochimaru had kept up friendly relations with the Rock, Cloud and Mist. He couldn't afford to make those three his enemies. No nation in the world stood a chance against all five Great Nations combined.

Meanwhile, the members of the Hyuuga family had taken their seat in the box of nobles. Hiashi and Hinata had made some polite small talk with other lords and nobles, while Neji – not being a noble himself as a member of the branch family but acting as bodyguard – was scanning the area. A polite nod was given to other bodyguards of nobles. There was no sense in being impolite, especially in the presence of nobles. Any lack of respect could be taken as an insult and result in a battle.

The others, being neither village leaders nor nobles, sat in the normal crowd. It still provided them with a good view of the arena, but there were bits and pieces that they couldn't see.

Seventeen people stood in the centre of the arena, divided into groups. In the very centre stood the tall, black-haired one-eyed Jounin that had led the exam. With a nod and a gesture from the Tsuchikage, along with a small introduction, the arena was silenced. Finally the Jounin spoke up, drawing all attention to herself.

"Greetings everyone." She started, the build of the stadium making her heard without having to shout too loud. "I am Nishino Kin, the lead examiner in this exam and the judge for this tournament. The large electronic board behind me will display the names and picture of each ninja fighting her today, as well as how the tournament goes."

Kin paused a second to allow the crowd to look at the large screen that appeared as a piece of the rock wall was slid downward. The arena itself was made of various elements to allow every shinobi to fight to the best of their abilities. There was a small pool, deep enough to drown two people standing atop each other, a heavily forested area, large enough to easily hide your presence form the enemy, and an area filled with large rocks. The walls of the arena, just like with every other arena, also housed the crowd, a little over twelve meters above the ground. But unlike the other arena's, this was not made by stone, but rather made out of stone. The first Tsuchikage had used an earth-elemental technique to shape a large hill into the arena, making it one solid building.

"As you can see, our first match will be between Sen Chihiro of the Village of the Hidden Mist." Chihiro stepped forward, a slight sweat already on his body because of his warming up. "And his opponent; Pyonatara Rurii of the Village of the Hidden Rock."

The bespectacled medic stepped forward, a slight sweat also visible on his brow. Like Chihiro he was still perfectly calm and in control, ready for the fight.

"And now," Kin continued as the other fourteen ninja made their way to the waiting area, "with the permission of the five Kage's, and the authority vested within me as lead examiner, BEGIN THE MATCH!"

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Start of the Chuunin exams, just like I said. But some other things had to be done first, so they took up most of the chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.

As always, much thanks to my beta's Kushin eX.

And please leave a review telling me what you think.


	37. Chapter 37

NA 37

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto or the Naruto universe.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

"Begin the match!"

Neither Chihiro nor Rurii wasted any time when the command was given, both shooting forward right away. Chihiro drew a pair of kunai to increase his deadliness, while Rurii pulled out to large blades shaped like scalpels. Dashing past each other, both ninja slashed at each other with one hand and parried with the other.

Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal.

Not standing still; both rushed further and quickly turned around. A grin formed on Rurii's face as he watched his opponent. The medic was unharmed, having successfully deflected the attack, while the Mist ninja hadn't been so lucky: a small scratch, with a single tear of blood dropping from it, was visible on his shoulder.

This time they didn't run at each other, instead starting to circle and slowly advance towards each other. When they were close enough, Rurii immediately lashed out, but this time Chihiro parried the huge scalpel and counterattacked. Blocking with his other scalpel, Rurii returned them to a deadlock.

Jumping back to break the deadlock, Chihiro was immediately pursuit by the Rock medic, who pressed his offense hard. Leaning back to evade a high slash – which would have taken out his eyes – Chihiro's right leg was cut open by the second blade. At the same time his own blade stabbed deep inside Rurii's leg, causing a thick stream of blood to erupt from the medic's leg. At once both shinobi jumped back again, keeping their distance.

While at a distance, Rurii placed his blades between his fingers and started making seals. In less than a second his hands began glowing green. Placing one hand over the wound, he immediately healed himself and held his blades in his hands again. With his now fully healed leg, the blue-clad man dashed forward to engage in battle again.

Chihiro however, didn't rush forward. Instead he suddenly threw his kunai at his opponent with pinpoint precision, before moving through some seals himself. For his part, Rurii was barely able to evade the blades but received a cut on his neck and in his armpit for his narrow dodges.

Immediately afterwards, the two ninja met and continue on their Taijutsu match. Using his large scalpels, Rurii used both arms to slash from the outside in, aiming at Chihiro's chest. Chihiro, now a bit faster without the additional weight of his kunai, stopped the attack by stopping Rurii's wrists with his elbows. In that same position, his hands shot forward and landed two blows on the blue-haired medic. One hand on the chest and one on the neck.

Rurii countered immediately by leaning back to reduce the force of the punches and kicked at the same time, hitting the Mist ninja's kneecap. Not giving in to the pain of their minor injuries, both ninja stood tall again and continued their assault.

Rurii fell to the ground and swept Chihiro's leg's, causing the cmist ninja to fall over. Meanwhile, Chihiro had quickly formed a few hand seals, despite being in extreme-close combat range, and finished his jutsu while falling.

"Genjutsu: Blinding Flash!" he whispered as he released his technique. Immediately a large flash of light burst forth from his locked hands, blinding Rurii and forcing him to back off. The sudden pain to his eyes caused the medic to reflexively reach his hands to his face. Chihiro didn't leave the opening unused.

Quickly standing up, he swung his leg back and landed a full-force kick in the fork of Rurii's legs. The second burst of intense pain caused the rock ninja to bend forward, groaning in intense pain Agony. A second later, Chihiro had punched him in the chin with an uppercut, sending him flying backwards and knocking him out.

As Rurii landed spread-eagle on the ground, Chihiro stood up and, panting, claimed victory.

Slowly taking a few steps forward, the one-eyed examiner looked over at Rurii before raising her arm and pointing at Chihiro.

"Winner: Sen Chihiro of the Village of the Hidden Mist!"

With a satisfied look on his face, Chihiro turned around and walked back to the waiting area, careful not to put too much weight on his injured leg.

XxX

At the top of the stadium; the six village leaders were all sitting in their special box.

"Interesting," The Raikage said, sitting perfectly straight in his chair.

"Yeah, it was." The Tsuchikage agreed. "Although it is a shame that neither of them actually used their full ability."

"That Rurii boy's medical technique was quite impressive." Tsunade agreed. "He healed that deep stab wound in his leg rather quickly."

"And of course, the genjutsu that was used by Sen-san was not bad either." Gaara added. "It wasn't all that powerful, but he created the seals quickly and used the technique handily."

"Wait till you see what he can really do." The Mizukage said, leaning back in her chair with a smug look. "Chihiro was holding back the majority of his skill, just like that Rock Ninja he fought. Neither was a capable Taijutsu fighter, but they still showed nothing more then that. A basic genjutsu like that is nothing."

"Kukuku, of course they didn't use their full ability." Orochimaru chuckled, earning a glare from the kage's. "Why show all your cards when no-one knows them yet? Only a fool shows his real power when he still has to fight more opponents."

XxX

"Next match! Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound versus Karui of the Hidden Cloud! Shinobi, step forward!" Kin yelled, as the two teenagers stepped into the arena. Although Karui looked a bit agitated she didn't display any anger towards Suigetsu. Suigetsu, for his part, was grinning like always, but not looking at his opponent.

When they where standing in the middle of the arena, Kin looked at each of them once to confirm their identities and then raised her hand. At once, Suigetsu and Karui reached for their swords.

"BEGIN!" Kin yelled as she puffed away in a cloud of smoke, clearing the arena. Unlike the previous match, neither fighter immediately attacked. Instead, they stared each other down while they stood motionless, both having drawn their blade an inch from the sheath. Finally, like they had reached an agreement, both swordfighters shot forward, drawing their blades as they charged.

Suigetsu quickly drew his guard-less blade and opened with a horizontal slashing movement, while Karui drew her sword and was just in time to block the strike. The black-skinned kunoichi took a step back, evading Sugietsu's follow-up vertical slash, and spun around to attack with her own sword.

Unlike Suigetsu's weapon, Karui's sword did have a guard, but it was an unusual one. She wielded her sword in her left hand and the guard mirrored this; the guard was only located on the left side, leaving the right side without a guard. Along the right side of her blade there were also various small holes and bumps, as if something could be locked in place there.

Raising her sword above her head, Karui charged forward and swung the blade down. Suigetsu easily blocked the attack and raised his knee to retaliate. Karui blocked the attack by raising her own knee, but Suigetsu used her sudden lack of balance to push the redhead back and charge at her again.

Realizing that Suigetsu would overpower her in a direct confrontation, Karui kept jumping back, keeping an even distance between herself and the blue-haired sound-ninja. At the same time she was forming seals, while keeping her sword ready in a backhand style.

"Fire Element: Burning Breath!" at her command, the very air that Karui was breathing out started to burn, causing a widespread area of mild flames to appear. Suigetsu quickly changed direction to avoid the flames. They were too weak to cause serious injury, but even a minor burn could prove fatal if it messed up his timing when fighting. Even more so when they were in a tournament without the possibility to fully heal themselves in between the rounds.

Using the time that Suigetsu had backed of to form another series of seals, Karui performed her second Ninjutsu.

"Fire element: Flames Comets!" Stabbing her sword into the ground, Karui lowered her stance and held her hands at hip level, forming orbs made of fire in each hand. Raising her hands behind her, she made a series of throwing movements with her hands, each one sending a burst of fire flying towards Suigetsu.

The Sound ninja didn't look troubled at all, instead simply running to the side, moving around Karui in a wide circle and evading all the fireballs that the redhead was throwing.

"What's the matter, too scared to fight little girl?" he taunted, his sword still in hand. The small taunt obviously got to the girl, because she suddenly stopped her barrage of fireballs, grabbed her sword and rushed forward.

"Wanna try me you damn bastard!" she shouted at him, moving a finger over her sword as she ran. "Fire Element: Burning Blade!" at once the surface of her sword was devoured by intense flames, hiding the actual blade from sight in the raging inferno.

Suigetsu didn't flinch at the flaming sword, but kept running in a circle with Karui in hot pursuit.

"Who's the coward now!" she yelled at him. "Afraid to get your precious sword melted?"

"You're not only a coward, you're also an idiot!" the blue-haired teenager yelled over his shoulder, suddenly increasing his speed. Karui also upped her speed, pumping more chakra in her feet as she went. The flames on her sword flickered for a second, reducing in intensity.

In that same instant, Suigetsu suddenly turned around and dashed straight at Karui. Not being able to react to the sudden direction that her opponent had made, the black-skinned ninja couldn't evade the attack in time. Even as she jumped away, a large red stain formed on her right side, just below her armpit. Sliding to a stop, Suigetsu looked at the four inches of his sword that where covered in blood and quickly made a slashing movement to wipe the blood of his sword.

"Damn you!" Karui weakly yelled as she crashed to one knee, her sword planted in the ground like a cane. Her right side was bleeding heavily and along with her shallow breathing it was obvious that Suigetsu had managed to cut deep enough to injure a lung. "Let's see how you like this!" Forcing herself to stand up, Karui raised her sword until it was on level with her shoulders and held the blade horizontally. From there she raised it above her head with the tip aimed at the sky, the basic one-handed frontal slash attack.

"Grow, Kougi." She whispered as she slashed the weapon down despite being far outside of either Suigetsu's or her own attack range. But as she slashed down, the blade suddenly grew longer until it easily reached Suigetsu. The growing had hardly taken a second and had caught the shark-toothed ninja by surprise. He could barely raise his sword, which had been at shoulder-level already, to block the strike. Despite the additional length, the strike was no heavier then the attacks that he had blocked before.

Karui pulled back and her sword instantly returned to its original size. From there, she made a quick stabbing motion and the blade increased in length again. This time Suigetsu was ready for it, easily stepping to the side and avoiding the attack. He quickly rushed alongside the blade, even as Karui slashed it towards him again. Using one hand, Suigetsu easily blocked the strike and continued running towards his opponent.

Knowing that she was no match for Suigetsu in a close combat match, especially in her current state, Karui jumped back and pulled back her sword again. Even in mid-air she made another swing towards her blue-haired opponent, burning with anger. She had wanted to keep the secret ability of her sword – Kougi – a secret as long as possible, but thanks to this annoying opponent she had been forced to reveal it already.

Coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the arena, Suigetsu raised his sword and easily – almost lazily – blocked the strike.

"This is pathetic." He said, holding the attack back with no problem. "You focus your chakra into the sword to control its length, but the weight of the blade doesn't change. You still don't have any power behind them. Know that you never stood a chance against me!" as he grabbed his sword with both his hands, Karui suddenly noticed where it was Suigetsu was standing: the same place that she had been standing when she had showered him with her Flames Comets attack.

"Chidori Current." Suigetsu whispered the words, but in the sudden silence that reigned over the stadium, they sounded as heavily as a sentence of death.

At once electricity shot forth from Suigetsu's body, passed through his sword into Kougi and continued on to Karui. As soon as the electricity touched the girl's body, she started screaming in pain. The lightning attack was strong enough to shock her into a temporary paralysis, and caused her to spasm. The spasms forced her to release the flow of chakra in her sword, making it shrink back to normal size.

Instead of landing on the ground, Karui literally crashed, falling on her back and still spasming from the lightning attack. Suigetsu looked on for a few seconds before sheathing his sword and, raising his left hand over his head, snapped his fingers. At once the entire arena, save for the spot where Suigetsu stood, was devoured by a group of large explosions. Karui was caught in several of them, but it was impossible for anyone to see what happened to her in the cloud of dust that the explosions raised.

Finally, after almost two minutes of waiting, the dust settled and revealed the two shinobi. Suigetsu, who had been standing in the only safe area in the entire arena, was left completely unharmed by the explosions, only brushing off some sand from his body. Karui was not so lucky. She had barely survived the explosions, but her entire body was now covered with various burns and large, open wounds.

Kin appeared in the stadium again, declared Suigetsu the winner of the match and quickly ordered a team of medics to look over the cloud ninja. Amidst a rain of cheers and awed looks, Suigetsu left the stadium as the winner of the match.

XxX

"I have to admit that, for a genin; that was some impressive fighting." The Raikage said, looking at the fight with interest. "Not only did he show himself a skilled fighter, but he displayed interesting tactics by acting like he was running from Karui to exhaust her chakra reserves."

"And, of course, he was also able to hide explosive tags all over the arena while running around and keeping the girl from noticing." The Tsuchikage added.

"That girl's sword," the Mizukage started, keeping a close eye on the redhead as she was being transported by medics, "looked rather unique. May I enquire as to how she had obtained it, Raikage-dono?"

"Allow me to explain it to you, Mizukage-dono." The aged kage started. "That sword is one of several special weapons that are in the possession of the Cloud Village. They're spread over the special clans of the village. Karui is from one of the stronger families and as the heir of the family head she has received the special sword Kougi."

"Am I right in believing that the weapon should be joined with another to complete it, based on its odd shape?"

"Perhaps you are."

"Most fascinating, is there any way I could study the swords at a later time? I have much interest in such weapons." As she spoke, the Mizukage's face was adorned with her most charming smile.

The Raikage was not impressed.

"It is outside of my authority. I can command the clans to do missions or go to war, but I have no authority over their personal belongings. And I assure you: their clan is very loyal to the Hidden Cloud and does not like communication with outsiders."

"Shame…." The Mizukage said as she started rubbing her chin in thought. "Really a shame…"

XxX

Back in the waiting room, Hanabi had been far too scared and impressed by the savage way that Suigetsu had defeated his opponent that she didn't notice Naruto sneaking away. Omoi was shouting something to his sister from the side, crushing the railing in his grip, while Samui didn't move at all while her eyes where locked on her teammate.

The shouting and explosions that Suigetsu created were perfect diversions for Naruto to walk up to Izayoi. Chihiro – who had already bandaged up his injured leg – and Minu let him pass without question, remembering from their encounter in the forest that they couldn't defeat him.

"Yo, Izayoi." Naruto greeted her. The long-haired girl didn't even respond, instead staring at the wall on the other side of the wall. Naruto walked into her field of vision and crouched down, obscuring the rest of the world from Izayoi's eyes. "Listen, you're going to fight Hanabi in the next match." The ice-mistress didn't so much as shake her head or blink to confirm what Naruto said. "Do you think you can go a bit easy on her? She's still a rookie and all, so no need to go overboard. As much as I hate to say it, she doesn't stand a chance against you. But if you'd be so kind as to not kill her or cause her permanent injury, that would be great. If you do harm her or kill her…." as he said the last part, Naruto let out a threatening growl and released a bit of Kyuubi's chakra into his eyes, turning them red, "I'll be angry. And you don't want to see me angry. Understand?"

With the explosions dying down, Naruto stood up, turned around and quickly moved back to his place beside Konohamaru, leaving Izayoi to her own thoughts.

A few minutes later, the examiner called down the two black-haired kunoichi. Both stood up without a sound and proceeded to walk towards the arena. Hanabi was getting freaked out as she walked a little to Izayoi's left. The Mist ninja didn't say a word, not even insults or threats just before the fight. Hanabi would have preferred she had, that way at least the tension that was thick in the air around the frosty teenager would break a bit and ease the young Hyuuga's mind.

Finally, they entered the arena and – still walking as calmly as ever – met up with the examiner. Hanabi could feel that her knees wanted to shake but the trainings that she had suffered through about appearances prevented it. She couldn't afford to look weak; not now when everyone was watching her.

At the examiner's order, they both took their position and prepared for the fight. Despite still wearing her headband as a blindfold, Hanabi automatically slipped into her Jyuuken stance. Izayoi on the other hand didn't move a muscle, standing where she was perfectly straight, her breathing even.

"BEGIN!"

Knowing that Izayoi was the superior ninja – since she had fought with Naruto to a standstill back in the forest – Hanabi immediately charged. She couldn't afford to give the long-haired kunoichi any time to place traps like Suigetsu had done.

When Hanabi's open palm was an inch removed from Izayoi's chest, the Jinchuuriki bent over backwards, easily avoiding the strike. Drawing back her hand, Hanabi tried to attack again, but like before Izayoi let the strike come closer before evading it. Hanabi's third attack was a direct follow-up on the second, making it hard to dodge. Instead, Izayoi parried the attack by striking Hanabi's wrist, preventing her from closing off any tenketsu. With a final spin kick, Hanabi finished up her first offensive, but like before Izayoi simply blocked the technique. Holding the young Hyuuga's leg, Izayoi moved into a controlled half-spin, tossing the girl over her shoulder and sending her flying.

Without any real physical power behind it, Hanabi managed to recover in the air and land on her feet, some distance away from Izayoi. As the girl prepared herself for another charge, she saw a flare in Izayoi's yellow-green chakra with her Byakugan, indicating that the Jinchuuriki had just used a special ability with her demonic chakra. At once a series of ice needles appeared out of thin air, formed by the humidity in the air freezing, courtesy of Izayoi.

Several of the needles shot forward, but Hanabi was barely able to dodge them. As she slid to a stop, her right arm and leg both had some scratches on it, a few drops of blood appearing from each injury. Despite the pain in her limbs, Hanabi charged forward again. Izayoi shot forth two more needles, but this time Hanabi deflected them with her hands, but a third needle, hidden behind the first, buried its way into her left hand. A fourth needle suddenly erupted from the ground, piercing the girl's left foot. By this time Hanabi had already reached the Mist Kunoichi, and she pushed off with her right foot, tearing her left free from the ice-spike.

With a single seal, the other seals shot forward and penetrated Hanabi's arms and legs, causing more wounds to appear and the young girl to fall down in pain. A second seal of Izayoi's fused all the ice-spikes in Hanabi's limbs into large cubes of ice, sealing off any chance of moving arms of legs.

In any other situation, the sight of Hanabi with large ice-cubes from the elbow and knee down would probably have been amusing, but now it was dead serious. Forming another seal, Izayoi summoned five larger ice spikes to appear in mid-air, each as thick as a fist. These spikes were obviously intended to kill.

As Izayoi was about to release the seal and send the spikes towards their target, she suddenly felt an intense killing intention aimed at her. Without releasing her seal, the Ice Mistress looked over Hanabi's shoulder at its source: Uzumaki Naruto.

He was now different from before: his eyes were red and slit like a cat's, his hair was a bit wilder and darker in color and his teeth – which were shown in the dangerous glare he send Izayoi's way – where sharper then before. He was also giving off more killing intent than anyone else Izayoi had ever encountered, even while standing with his arms folded and leaning in over the railing. The meaning of his killing intent was clear: listen to the request I made or I'll kill you for it.

"Examiner," Izayoi whispered, her voice was completely emotionless and as cold as ice. "I have captured and defeated my opponent, I claim victory."

Kin poofed back into the arena to confirm her statement. After checking up on Hanabi – who was now turning a shade of light blue all over her body – the examiner stood up and pointed at Izayoi.

"Winner of this match: Izayoi of the Hidden Mist!"

Without waiting for another word, Izayoi turned around and left the arena, while a team of medics showed up and carried the half-frozen Hyuuga girl away.

XxX

While all the nobles gave a polite applause for the victor of the match, the Mist Kunoichi Izayoi, Hyuuga Hiashi didn't notice the smirk of triumph that appeared on the face of several of the other nobles from hidden villages. Others looked disappointed by the outcome and Hiashi had no problems guessing why.

As a member of the Hyuuga, Hanabi had been expected by many nobles to make it very far in this tournament, based on the sheer fact that she was a Hyuuga. Other, mostly rival, noble clans were very pleased with the outcome: since Hanabi was defeated in the first round – especially in such a humiliating way – the Hyuuga were sure to lose face over it.

"It's a shame that Hanabi-chan lost…" Hinata admitted, sitting next to her father. "I had hoped that she would have made it a bit further then this."

"Yes, it is too bad. But Hanabi was not yet ready for this exam as we both know." Hiashi replied, keeping an eye on his youngest daughter as the medics lifted her up and pulled her away. "Although she has fought bravely and I could see that she was far stronger than when she left Konoha, her opponent was not someone who could be defeated that easily. Let's hope that this will make her realize just how strong opponents can be in the ninja world."

"Yes…" Hinata agreed, needlessly straightening her shirt some more. "And Hanabi-chan can use this experience to become that much stronger."

Hiashi only nodded to agree with his daughter, while one eye moved towards Neji's position. The young Jounin noticed the look on his uncle's face and nodded his head, indicating that he had seen it too. Izayoi had not been the type to let her enemies walk away and she was about to kill Hanabi. Both Neji and Hiashi clearly realized why the girl was still alive; they had also felt a chill creep over their spine at Naruto's sudden Killing Intention. And after he had locked eyes with the Ice Ninjutsu user, the girl suddenly stopped her attack and simply claimed victory.

'I guess that means my daughters both owe him their lives twice now…' Hiashi thought to himself as the next combatants entered the arena. 'If he keeps up this rate we Hyuuga will owe him so many favors he'd be able to become the Clan Head right away…'

XxX

"And now," Kin started as the next two combatants entered the arena, "the fourth match of today; Tsuya Hiraganaka of the Hidden Sand and her opponent, Samui of the Hidden Cloud!"

Both blonds walked into the arena, not even looking at each other. Samui, dressed in all black, looked as frosty as ever, while Hiraganaka was tossing and catching a golden coin with one hand as she walked.

As the two took their places opposing each other, Kin looked at each of them in turn with her single eye before raising her hand. At once the two kunoichi slid into a Taijutsu stance.

"BEGIN!"

Before the smoke had even cleared from Kin's transportation technique, the two blonds had already met and engaged in close combat. Hiraganaka was obviously faster then the busty Samui, because she had covered more distance and had gained the first strike on the Cloud Nin.

Connecting with a solid punch to Samui's jaw, Hiraganaka was barely in time to block Samui's counter-kick aimed at her temple. Transforming her block into a hold over Samui's leg, the Wind Kunoichi pulled and unbalanced her opponent. A second later, she had to release her hold as a jolt of electricity shot through Samui's leg and burned Hiraganaka's fingers. The unexpected jolt created an opening that the Cloud nin didn't miss; her fist was buried deep in the green-clad girl's stomach.

Doubling over in pain, gasping for air, Hiraganaka exploded in a cloud of smoke as she was replaced by a wooden log. A second later, she was behind Samui and punched her in the back of the head. She also exploded in a log and suddenly burst out of the ground below the still air born Hiraganaka. However, the clone exploded in a violent tornado as soon as Samui punched it in the face. Likewise, Samui's body erupted in a torrent of bright flashes as the lightning clone was dispelled.

"Not bad." The real Hiraganaka said as she dropped from a tree in the forested area, looking over at the small lake on the other side of the arena. "You anticipated I'd make a Bound Wind Clone and created a clone of your own… ready for round two?"

Slowly raising from the water, Samui didn't respond to Hiraganaka's taunt, instead observing her intently. Then she raised one hand and waved her over, taunting her as well.

"Fine, let's see how you deal with this!" Hiraganaka yelled as she dashed forward, her hands shooting through seals. Standing on top of the water, Samui did the same, preparing for a Ninjutsu of her own.

"Wind Element: Broken Barrier!" as she finished her technique, a glow appeared around Hiraganaka's body a second before she shot up over twice as fast as before. She was on Samui just as the black-clad Kunoichi finished her last seal.

"Lightning Element: Sparking Blast." In between her hands a ball of electricity formed and immediately shot forward towards Hiraganaka, moving as fast as lightning.

The blond Wind Ninja moved to the side, evading the lightning blast by a hair. Behind her, the orb hit the ground and erupted in small electric shocks. Before Samui could create another blast, Hiraganaka had reached her and kicked her in the stomach. All of her movements had gotten much faster then before. Launching four more punches and an additional full-spin kick to send the Cloud nin crashing against the wall, Hiraganaka took a small break to catch her breath. Even so, the glow of chakra around her never diminished.

As Samui got up she coughed up some blood, indicating a serious injury, but even so she never dropped her guard.

"You used that Wind Technique to reduce the friction of the air around you to nearly zero while moving didn't you? That's why you're suddenly so much faster."

"Right in one…" Hiraganaka admitted before dashing forward. A second later, she was behind her opponent and kneed her in the neck. This time, Samui was ready; a burst of electricity shot out of her body to block the attack and sting Hiraganaka's knee at the same time. In the split second that the Wind nin was stunned, the Cloud nin turned around.

"Lightning Element: Frying Bind." At her command a jolt of lightning shot forth from each of Samui's fingers and wrapped themselves around Hiraganaka, causing her to shock and convulse in pain. Struggling to make any movements at all, the green-clad girl finally managed to get her hand together and formed a seal.

"Wind Element: Raging Fists!" She managed to exclaim with difficulty. At once the bonds of electricity binding her where broken as streams of wind shot forth from her hands. Landing on the ground right next to Samui, Hiraganaka quickly punched at the opposing blond again. The wind technique boosting her attack cut right through Samui, leaving her bleeding heavily. A second later the clone exploded into lightning once again.

Turning around, Hiraganaka whipped her hands around and pointed at a tree some distance behind her. The streams of wind ripped the tree to shreds, forcing Samui out of hiding, along with a series of scratches thanks to the technique.

"And how do you like this?" Hiraganaka asked, panting for breath by now, as Samui had difficulty standing because both her legs where injured.

"Raging Fists allows me to manipulate the wind to aid me in my attacks. It increases the range of my attacks by as far as I want and it increases the damage I can inflict with a single attack significantly. Compared to how little chakra the technique actually costs, it's a really profitable investment."

"You talk too much." Samui suddenly stated as she made the Seal of the Dragon, still kneeling on the floor. Almost at once Hiraganaka's barrier of chakra to reduce the flow of wind disappeared and her Raging Fist Technique was also dispelled. A sudden look of disbelief appeared on the Wind Ninja's face.

"Wha…" she tried to say, but her jaw hardly moved.

"All those lightning elemental techniques I've used still lingered in your system. At my command they disrupt all the electronic signals between your nerves and the rest of your body. You're paralyzed. And this is for the finish."

Once again Samui started forming seals, not even bothering to get up.

"Genjutsu: Stretch Control."

For a few seconds nothing happened, but all of a sudden, Hiraganaka raised her hand, but it moved odd, not at all as fluently as it normally would have. It was jerking and moved slowly, jumping every few inches before stopping and jerking again.

Finally, with another seal of Samui's, the blond ninja from the land of Wind spoke up. Like her arm, her voice was oddly strained and even monotone.

"I give up." As soon as the words had left her mouth, Hiraganaka fell to the ground like a puppet that had its strings cut. Over on the other side of the field, Samui released her seal and gasped for breath, struggling to stay sitting.

"Winner, Samui of the Hidden Cloud!" Kin announced as she reappeared in the arena.

XxX

"Ok, now that was impressive for a genin." Jiraiya said as he watched Samui leave the arena. "I'll bet that there are Chuunin who couldn't have pulled that off half that well. She is definitely above genin level."

"What the hell just happened?" Kiba asked, still looking surprised. "One second that chick in green is kicking ass and the next she's getting whooped."

"She said that she temporarily severe the nerves…" Sakura repeated, but her voice was full of doubt. "But…"

"That's nearly impossible." Ino concluded. "Medic Ninja's are the ones with the most knowledge about the human body and we can't sever the nerves. Even Tsunade-Shisho can only disrupt the flow of the nerves, not sever them without causing permanent injury."

"Actually, no-one can." Jiraiya now announced. "Tsunade is still one of the best medics in the world, but it's impossible to disrupt the nerves like that, even using Lightning techniques. But that's not what she did."

At once all eyes were on the legendary ninja, who was now grinning.

"That girl is cunning. She knew everyone was listening in on what they were saying so she made up a very good lie. Her lightning attacks didn't touch that other girl's nerves at all; she had placed seals on different places of her body during those Taijutsu exchanges that paralyzed her. And with the victim unable to control their own muscles, it's easy to use a genjutsu to take control of their body. Even so, that genjutsu was pretty complex."

"It probably was." Sakura concluded as realization dawned on her. "I'm a bit too far away to sense the amount of chakra that she used, but she didn't take control of that girl's muscles at all. Instead that Genjutsu worked on her nerves: that Cloud ninja was using the other girl's nerves system to take control over her body and force it to move the way she wanted it too. But because of the complexity of that system, she could only activate a couple of reflexes, which was all she needed."

"Of course!" Ino now exclaimed, catching her drift. "By using the stretch reflex she could make her target move any way she likes as long as the target can't control its own movement. It's like a weaker version of my Mind-Body control… that explains the jerky movements and the monotone voice…"

"So wait a second…" Kiba's displeasure was now filled with a sense of awe. "You're telling me that that big-boobed chick not only placed seals while in such a heated Taijutsu match, but she also used a genjutsu that complex? She must be the real deal then…"

"Yes, she is." Shino agreed. "I have no doubt that was this any other tournament; she would have been the best without a doubt. Her abilities far exceed that of the average Chuunin."

"Yeah, but everything is pointing in the direction that this isn't a normal tournament." Shikamaru said, exhaling some more smoke.

Four rows behind them and some seats to the left, an old lady smiled as she overheard the conversation. Her 'husband' who was sitting next to her was silently complaining about the lack of death in the tournament, claiming that Jashin-sama would be displeased.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

As always much thanks to my beta's Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

I hope you all liked these shorter battle scenes (compared to most of my fight scenes) and next chapter will have the remaining battles of the first round.

as always, please leave a review telling me what you think.


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing but my laptop which I use to write these chapters. Everything else belongs to other people.

* * *

"And now, we continue on with the second half of the first round." Kin announced. From the entranceway the next two shinobi appeared. First came the small figure of Konohamaru, his staff still attached to his back.

"Sarutobi Konohamaru of the Hidden Leaf versus Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf."

But the last part of Kin's announcement had been lost in the sudden shouts of the crowd. Naruto had walked out and despite his new outfit, it seemed like the entire ninja world had recognized him

"IT'S TEMPEST!" a loud, male voice shouted the moment Naruto's blond hair was in clear sight. All over the arena other people started calling as well.

"TEMPEST! TEMPEST!" "HE'S BACK!"

The sudden outbreak of noise seemed to surprise even the cool-headed Kin, but she quickly regained her composure and raised her hands to beckon for silence. The crowd seemed to ignore her for the most part, continuing its loud welcome for the blond-haired ninja. Up in the crowds, all the visitors of the other villages were – to say the least – surprised by the welcome, but none more so then the group from Konoha.

Down in the arena, Konohamaru only looked up for a second before quickly drawing his eyes down to the ground again. Only when Naruto raised his own arms and waved them to signal for silence did the crowd fall silent and sat back in their seats. Kin immediately took advantage of the opportunity and addressed the two fighters.

"Shinobi; to your positions," She ordered. At once the two Leaf Ninja stood at attention, assuming fighting stances of their own and at least five meters removed from one another.

"Begin!"

As with all matches, Kin immediately poofed out of the arena, but before she had even made her seal, Konohamaru had already charged forward.

Much to the surprise of Jiraiya and Naruto, Konohamaru immediately began the fight far more aggressively then he normally would have. In a single fluid motion he had drawn his staff and made a vertical slash at Naruto's head. For his part, the blond only looked slightly surprised by the sudden aggression but easily sidestepped the staff.

As soon as the heavy tip of the staff touched the ground, Konohamaru used it as a pole to boost his jumping-height and easily flew over Naruto's rather slow counter-punch. While in the air, the young genin started spinning his weapon over his head and suddenly released the weights from either end of the staff, turning his weapon into a double ended meteor hammer. The heavy-weighted ends flew around Konohamaru, forming a protective barrier which would heavily damage anyone or anything caught inside it. Once again Naruto simply evaded it, jumping back until he was well clear of the danger-zone. At once Konohamaru used the chakra-strings from the staff to pull back the weights and assumed his stance again.

"Not bad Konohamaru, but what's gotten into you?" Naruto asked, still in his battle stance. "You look different from normal."

"What'd you think!?" the young Sarutobi barked back as he charged again. "My uncle is dead!" this time the opening-attack was horizontal, but Naruto bent backwards enough to let it pass harmlessly over him. Just as he got back up so he could counter-attack, Naruto saw that the heavy weight at the end of the staff was missing. A second later, the weight flew through the air where Naruto's head had been; the blond had barely ducked in time to keep the weight from violently meeting with his temple. From that position Naruto couldn't attack, so he did the next best thing; he pushed off, crashing his shoulder into his teammate and sending him flying back some distance.

"I know that, Konohamaru, but you have to try to control yourself." Naruto stated, getting back to his feet.

"Shut up!" Konohamaru yelled in very uncharacteristic rage. As he got up, Naruto was shocked by what he saw. Before now, when Konohamaru was attacking, his entire face had been formed into a mask of intense rage and concentration. Now it seemed like his bravado had been broken by the shoulder-push and now he suddenly looked confused and pained, obviously barely able to hold back tears. "I have to do this! I have to win, no matter what!"

"Why?"

"Because I'm a Sarutobi!" with that the junior genin charged forward, the weights of his staff already disconnected and flying towards Naruto. The blond suddenly dashed back at Konohamaru, easily running past the weights, and took hold of the weapon. With a single push, he had disarmed the boy and quickly sent him flying into a wall. Spinning the weapon around, Naruto slammed the two heavy-weighted ends of the staff into the wall in such a way that the staff now held its owner in place.

"Listen and listen well." Naruto said, standing across from Konohamaru and looking at him with disdain on his face. "It's cruel to say it like this, but your name isn't worth anything. It's no motivation for anything, not in this world."

"It is." Konohamaru weakly argued, struggling against the staff as it held him down. "I'm now the last Sarutobi… Grandpa… Uncle Asuma… even my parents… they're all dead. I have to make sure that… that our clan's name is honored."

"And how are you going to do that?" Naruto now asked, his voice perfectly calm to oppose Konohamaru's near frantic shouting. "Fight an opponent you can't defeat? Take on missions you can't complete? Avenge them? How?"

"I… I don't know…" suddenly Konohamaru dropped his head as sobs shook his body. Glittering diamonds fell from his face, but no-one in the crowds made a noise.

"I'll tell you. Live. Live your life, just like they did. Don't try to go further then you can. You are now the last of your clan, as you yourself said. Doesn't that mean that it falls to you to ensure that the clan is restored? That it is your duty; to ensure that those who come after you will know how to live their lives, following the example of those who came before."

"But… what about… those men… the ones who killed him…" Konohamaru's sobs grew stronger with each word.

"What about them? Do you want to go out, hunting them, killing them to avenge a fallen family member? Don't be a fool. What were the most important aspects of life to your grandfather, your uncle and even your parents? Wasn't it protecting those that you care about, guiding them and teaching others? Didn't they always show kindness and understanding to those around them? Then tell me; where amongst these things do you see a desire for revenge!? Did they ever ask you to avenge them, to restore the family honor after they had died in the line of their work? Well, did they!?"

"No…. no they… didn't." Konohamaru finally admitted. Naruto stepped closer and kneeled down in front of him, forcing Konohamaru to look him in the eyes.

"Then don't. The dead are dead. They don't ask for revenge, nor do they desire restoration of their honor. They're simply dead. So honor them if you want, mourn them when you need to and remember them always. But remember them… in here." Suddenly Naruto placed one hand on Konohamaru's forehead and the other over his heart.

"Remember them in your memories and your heart; but never in your fists. Remember them as they were; how they lived and died. But don't use their death as an excuse to seek your own death. Don't let the dead become your guides, or you will walk into the valley of the shadow of death before you even know it. From there it's only a short way to the land of the dead yourself."

Konohamaru's entire body went limb, as the boy looked down at the ground again. Naruto stood up and turned around, giving him some space. Kin re-appeared in the arena but before she could proclaim the match over, Naruto raised his hand to silence her.

"We're not done yet."

As Kin disappeared again, allowing the fight to continue, Konohamaru seemed to recover a bit as well. He raised his head, looking directly at Naruto as he took hold of his own staff again.

"Thank you, Naruto-nii-chan." With a grunt of effort, Konohamaru focused chakra into his arms and pushed, freeing his staff again. On the other side of the arena, Naruto smiled for a second, since Konohamaru had returned to himself, even calling him 'Nii-chan' once again.

This time, both ninja charged forward, meeting each other halfway through the arena. Konohamaru kept the staff in front of him, allowing him a lot of freedom with attack and defense, the weights already detached and ready to attack. On the other side of the arena, Naruto was leaning forward so far he could almost run on all fours.

Both weights shot forth at the same time as Konohamaru suddenly stopped his dash and jumped back, keeping his distance from Naruto and apparently choosing to fight him at a distance. It was a good tactic, because the young Sarutobi knew that close-range was and always would remain Naruto's best range, but even so it did not save him.

Adding a burst of speed before the weights hit him, Naruto had already caught up with Konohamaru just as the two weights passed through the area he had occupied a split second before. Naruto's left knocked the staff aside, making it easy for his right to strike the stunned and un-guarded Konohamaru straight in the Solar Plexus, temporarily paralyzing him and literally knocking the air out of him.

As Konohamaru fell to the ground, hardly able to move and desperately trying to get air back in his lungs, Naruto stood up and looked his teammate over. Kin re-appeared in the arena and this time she did stop the fight.

"Winner; Uzumaki Naruto of the Hidden Leaf!"

XxX

"Damn… he won that so easy it isn't even funny." Kiba complained as the crowd once again burst out into cheers. "That kid had no chance whatsoever. In the end he never even once touched Naruto."

"Yes, Naruto-kun has indeed improved admirably over these past years." Lee said, jumping up and down next to the dog user, following the rhythm of the 'Tempest' calls. "I can't wait to have a friendly sparring with him myself."

"I'm surprised as well…" Sakura softly said, sitting back in her seat. "Naruto's… really changed."

"What makes you say that?" Jiraiya asks, having been the only one who had really heard the whispers. The others were all far too excited by Naruto's fight, having not seen him in action for three years. The pink-haired kunoichi seemed happy enough with the distraction, because it allowed her to confide in the aged shinobi safely.

"Before Sasuke-kun left, Naruto had taken a real liking to him. They were always hanging out together one way or another. They had odd ways of showing it, but I think they where really good friends. Naruto had never said anything about Sasuke-kun's desire for revenge, nothing good or bad. But just now… he looked really angry and disappointed with Konohamaru-chan when he hinted at wanting revenge."

"Losing your best friend can do a lot to a person." Jiraiya softly said, also sitting down. "Sasuke betrayed Konoha, but more importantly, he also betrayed Naruto when his desire for revenge took over. When we were traveling, Naruto would think about it a lot. He was angry at Sasuke for doing it, but before long he realized something. He explained it to me as; _'it doesn't matter what someone does, but what matters is why they do it.' _And because revenge had been Sasuke's motivation when he became a traitor, Naruto developed an intense dislike to people who act on revenge."

Up in the box of the kage's the six village leaders were once again thinking about what they had just seen.

"Hmm… It appears that he is wiser then I would have thought." The Raikage rubbed his small beard in deep thought, looking down on the arena as Naruto exited under loud applause. A group of medics rushed in and lifted the defeated Konohamaru up to carry him out. "He accepts his emotions, even his negative ones, but keeps them at bay when needed and does not let them control his actions; the mark of a true shinobi."

"I'm more surprised that he is the famous Tempest." The Tsuchikage said from his own seat. "I've heard the rumors for a long time now about a young man by the name of Tempest, but I had never known that he was in fact from the Hidden Leaf."

"Yes, he has been training and traveling under a different name for his own protection." Tsunade supplied, knowing there was no harm in it now that his second identity had been revealed. "But I had no idea he was so famous."

XxX

"Omoi of the Hidden Cloud versus Warupo Teken of the Hidden Rock. Begin!"

As with all matches, Kin disappeared from the stadium, leaving the two males to fight their battle in peace. Just like Suigetsu and Karui, this was to be a sword-match. Both shinobi had already drawn their sword and stood at the ready. Omoi stood in the same stance as his sister, holding the blade in front of him, but it was a mirror image of Karui's stance. While Karui had wielded her sword left-handed, Omoi held his in his right. Even the form of his sword was a mirror of Karui's, having only a guard on the right side of the blade and the left side of the blade itself held a multitude of small spikes and holes.

Opposite of the black-skinned Cloud nin stood the massive, brown-haired figure of Teken. He was at least a foot taller then Omoi and almost twice as broad at the shoulders. Unlike most swordfighters, he held his sword in a backhanded stance, hiding most of the blade behind his massive arms. His left hand was held in front, the metal bracer on it ready to deflect Omoi's sword if needed.

They stood like that for almost two minutes, simply staring at each other. After waiting that long though, Teken's patience seemed to run out. With a look of annoyance on his face he charged forward, his sword still hidden behind his body.

Omoi dashed to Teken's left, staying away from the sword that he couldn't see, and touched the larger man with the tip of his blade as he passed. Teken had simply deflected the blade with his bracer, negating any damage it might have done, and turned around to run after Omoi.

Without any time to form a seal for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, Omoi charged right back at his opponent, aiming the tip of his sword at Teken's heart. With surprising agility for someone his size; Teken leaned back to evade the stab and slashed his sword upward. Omoi could barely pull back his head in time to avoid decapitation. At once he spun around and slashed with his sword.

The backhanded blade easily stopped the strike, allowing Teken to shoulder-bash Omoi away. As soon as he had regained his footing, Omoi realized that Teken was the superior swordsmen and would no-doubt win in a straight fight.

Fortunately, Shinobi never had straight fights.

"Grow, Zaigou." He whispered. The blade didn't change, but Omoi could feel the effect taking place. Again he charged forward.

Teken raised a bracer to block the strike, but it was much slower then he had anticipated. And when it did reach him, the blade was almost twice as heavy as it had been before. The Rock ninja quickly jumped back to avoid having his arm cut off and it wasn't a second to late. As soon as Omoi's sword touched the ground it cracked and exploded outward, not able to bear the weight of the sword and the speed and power behind its arrival.

Omoi dashed forward, the sword now as light as a feather again, and reached Teken before he had a chance to prepare. Holding off the blade with his own, supported by the bracer on his left hand, but the sudden weight behind the sword still overpowered the large man. He was sent flying back some meters, and while he was recovering, Omoi had already started forming seals.

Before he had a chance to finish them, Teken had recovered and saw what the Cloud nin was up to. At once he threw his sword to the sky, forming seals of his own.

"Water Element: Hydrogen Spray!" Omoi yelled. At once a spray of thick water shot from his hands, covering the entire area around Teken.

"Earth Element: Earth Shore Return!" Teken yelled as he slammed his hands into the ground. A square block of earth rose up to act as a shield for him, stopping Omoi's spray from hitting him.

Back at his own position, Omoi stopped his technique when he saw the entire area was drenched and smiled. Removing the lollipop from his mouth, he twisted it around a couple of times before it suddenly burst into flames. The lollipop was not an actual lollipop, but a highly burnable substance that tasted very sweet and addicting but would already combust if it met even the slightest resistance.

He tossed the flaming lollipop towards the remains of his spraying technique and as soon as it had made contact, the liquid violently exploded. With a grin, Omoi turned around to leave the arena, confident that he had won; he suddenly heard something behind him.

He was just in time to see Teken's sword flying through the air toward him, barely evading the weapon from cleaving his head in two. Teken himself followed a second later, his clothes a bit burned but otherwise perfectly fine. His barrier had absorbed most of the explosion, keeping him relatively safe.

But since Omoi was still surprised, he couldn't do anything as Teken closed in on him and grabbed his head with one hand and slammed him into a wall. Pulling his sword out of the wall behind Omoi, Teken placed it at the black ninja's neck and grinned.

"I win."

"Winner, Warupo Teken of the Hidden Rock." Kin announced, making Teken release Omoi from the wall.

XxX

"Wow, another special sword." The Mizukage was nearly jumping in her seat as she saw Omoi sheath his sword and leave the arena, holding his head with his opposite hand. Obviously he had a headache after getting his head smashed into the wall. "And no doubt it's the sister-blade to the one that the girl used."

"Indeed it is…" the Raikage slowly said; taking a sip of a drink that one of his servants had brought him.

"I really must have a meeting with them at one point. One weapon is able to change its length, while the other can change its weight. Interesting… very interesting."

"Kukuku, you truly are like a small child, aren't you Sessha-san?" Orochimaru chuckled. "So very easily excited when presented with a new toy even if it isn't yours?"

"Oh really, I'm like a child?" The Mizukage replied, immediately switching to a deadly smile. "Then, Orochimaru-san, I'm sure that you have never experienced a child's rage, have you? A pissed off child is more deadly then any other's."

XxX

"Jugo of the Hidden Sound versus Yuko Narato of the Hidden Rock. Begin!"

As Kin disappeared from the arena neither fighter made a move. Jugo, despite being twice the size of his opponent, didn't make a single move. On the other side of the arena, standing in an academy-level stance, Narato was shaking in her boots as she looked at her opponent.

"Won't you please surrender?" Jugo's soft voice suddenly sounded, startling the blond girl. "I dislike harming other people, but I fear that I may lose control."

"I cannot do that." Narato said as she pulled out a handful of Shuriken. "I have made it this far with Rurii and Teken; I can't just give up after everything that we've been through."

With that, the small girl tossed the shuriken at Jugo's direction, but the large orange-haired man simply jumped to the side to perfectly evade all projectiles. Gathering up her courage, Narato chased after him, throwing more shuriken and kunai all the while. Jugo, despite his considerable bulk, easily kept his distance and evaded all the thrown weapons with perfect ease.

"Please, I'm begging you, surrender." Jugo said, his voice now sounding slightly strained. "I can not promise that you will survive if I start fighting back. So please, surrender while you're still unhurt."

Narato didn't listen to his words, instead throwing another kunai, this one with an explosive tag attached to it. Like all other projectiles, Jugo effortlessly evaded it, although the explosion that followed after it had hit the wall surprised him. Narato tried to take advantage of Jugo's confusion by closing in, but a sudden burst of killing intend from Jugo stopped her in her tracks.

Jugo dropped to his knees, clutching his head as if he was in pain. Narato quickly backed off, scared by the sudden bout of killing intend. She was still breathing heavily almost a minute later, when Jugo finally managed to calm down and stand up once again. He was also breathing heavily, sweat gathered on his face, dripping down into his clothes, turning his light-grey shirt a dark, wet grey.

"I'll ask you again, will you please surrender?" Jugo tried again.

"I can't." Narato said, reaching for another set of kunai and prepared to throw them.

"In that case, I'm sorry." Jugo crouched down before suddenly shooting forward before the girl was even able to throw her two kunai, Jugo was already upon her. He literally crashed himself into her, sending them both falling to the ground, where he quickly pinned her down.

"Now, surrender. You cannot escape from me, not like this. So please, surrender before I end up really hurting you."

Narato, for her part, looked surprised at her sudden capture but quickly accepted her fate.

"Very well; I give up." She finally said. As soon as the words left her mouth, Jugo stood up and took his distance from her, waiting for the examiner to appear and announce his victory.

Narato was already on her way to the exit of the arena, when Kin finally appeared and made the announcement.

"Winner, Jugo of the Hidden Sound."

XxX

"That was most un-gentleman-like." Lee complained as he saw Jugo get off Narato. "She was clearly an inexperienced combatant and he jumped her like that…"

"Yeah, he fought like a wimp. All he did was running and jumping. What a big wussy." Kiba added.

"I must disagree, Kiba." Shino said, standing next to his friend. "I am most impressed with his ability to win without showing his true ability in a fight. His next opponent will not know anything about his fighting ability. He has managed to keep it an even better secret then Naruto has."

"Not just that." Jiraiya said. "But unlike Naruto he actually won without hurting his opponent in any way. At worse she'll feel a bruise from where he tackled her. But that leaves us with a big problem: we don't know what he was so afraid of about himself. And if his next opponent can't draw it out, Naruto will have to face him while it's still a secret."

XxX

"And now we move on to the final match of the first round." Kin announced. From the entrance, the last two shinobi entered the scene.

"So wimp, ready to get your ass kicked?" Minu taunted as they neared the centre of the arena. "You're going to end up just like that red-haired bitch from your team."

"You goddamn bitch!" the green-haired Sand-ninja suddenly shouted, already losing his cool. "I swear I'll kill you! I'm going to make you pay for that, and once I'm done with you that other bitch from your team is going after you! You'll pay for what you did to Kinhara."

"Don't worry, you'll see your little bitch soon enough."

It took all of Manato's willpower not to attack her then and there, but if he would attack before the examiner allowed it, it would mean that he was disqualified from the exam.

However, Minu's train of thought was the exact opposite from what she was actually saying.

'I have to keep him angered.' She thought to herself. 'From what I've seen in our short skirmish in the caves, he's probably the most dangerous of his team. If I can keep him angered, his concentration will be low and I can easily defeat him.'

"Spira Minu of the Hidden Mist versus Potamaru Manato of the Hidden Sand. Begin!"

As soon as they had started the fight Manato shut up, his face a mask of intense concentration. Within an instant, there were two puffs of smoke as his weapons appeared.

The first puppet he had summoned was almost humanoid in its appearance, as it was draped over Manato's shoulders. It had a head, eyes, two arms and even two legs. Even so it was obviously mechanical in nature. It was one of the more mainstream puppets, the all-round offensive puppet Karasu.

The second puppet was significantly larger then either Karasu or Manato himself, standing well over seven feet tall. Unlike Karasu, who was designed to be extremely flexible and break apart and reassemble at a mere command, this puppet was much more massive, obviously intended for inflicting – and taking – heavy damage. This was the rather rare, but powerful bear-based doll: Ursine.

"Ah crap." Minu muttered to herself as she saw Manato instantly focus. Apparently he was disciplined enough to set aside his feelings as soon as it was needed. "Guess there goes that plan." With a single fluid motion she extended the blades from the battle glove on her right hand and moved into her battle stance.

Taking initiative, Manato attacked first, letting Karasu shoot a variety of projectiles as it dissembled itself. Needles, smoke bombs and even entire daggers were shot from various hidden caches over its body. The puppet itself broke apart, its limbs and even head growing daggers as they started flying around, easily defying gravity. Meanwhile, the large Ursine charged forward and smashed its fist straight at Minu.

The mist ninja had been scraped by the projectiles, paralyzing her in her tracks as the poison quickly took effect. Ursine's massive paw crashed right into her chest, instantly making Minu erupt in a burst of water.

Suddenly the ground behind Manato exploded as Minu shot up, slashing at the Sand ninja with her claw. Her claw easily moved through the body, not feeling any resistance of bone or muscle. Instead Manato's body was made completely of wood; it was a third puppet. And as soon as Minu's claws had pierced the body, the puppet's mouth shot open to reveal another needle-launcher.

As the needles shot forth, Minu was barely able to jump back and escape being skewered. Even so, she couldn't avoid all the needles; three needles graced her left shoulder, leaving a burning sensation that spread from the injury itself.

'He's using a poison, but it's not a very potent one.' She realized as she backed off. 'But where's the sneaky bastard hi-'

"Wow!" she yelled as she barely ducked underneath a sudden low-flying bird. It's wings where oddly shining as it flew in an a dive no real bird would ever perform.

"What the… a fourth puppet? And a flying one!" This was a new model, one that hadn't been in use for long and was hard to control, because it needed constant motion to stay in the air. This was the new puppet-model; the Taka.

But before Minu had any time to consider how to fight the hawk off; the other two puppets were on her again. Karasu's arms flew by, daggers nearly stabbing the Mist Kunoichi's head, shaking her awake just in time to see Ursine strike again. Again, Minu evaded the strike, but it was so powerful that the bear-shaped doll cracked the very ground it struck; giving Minu very limited maneuvering space.

She jumped aside, slipping under Ursine's large and slow arms, and quickly dashed away, desperately trying to get some breathing room. Before she could even move five paces, a thin, quick shadow shot forth from the area that Ursine just smashed. Within five paces it had caught up with the kunoichi and wrapped itself around her legs, tripping her.

Catching herself with her hands and pushing off the ground to evade another barrage of poison needles, courtesy of Karasu, Minu looked at her legs. A fifth puppet was wrapped around her ankles, keeping her from moving. This one was formed like a snake and obviously intended for light, high-speed movement and using the element of surprise. It was just about to sink it's fangs into her leg – obviously poisoned as well – but she was just in time to prevent it. Swinging her claw at the snake, she quickly cut it to shreds.

However, the time it had cost her to dismantle Hebi, the snake puppet, had forced her to drop her defense, which was a signal for the falcon-puppet Taka to resume its attack. It swooped down on her, only entering her vision at the last second. Instinctively, she raised her hands to block it, deflecting the bladed wings and again stopping a decapitation.

Minu cursed out loud, but hardly had time for more language. Ursine had caught up to her and prepared to smash her once again. But by now, Minu was completely cornered. Karasu was hovering behind Ursine, ready to barrage her with projectiles if she would try to escape to the sides. Taka was flying circles above them, preventing her from jumping out of the danger zone and she was pushed back into a wall.

Minu could barely bend to the side to evade the stomp, but the amount of rubble nearly send her off-balance and into Karasu's range-of-fire. But even so, she had managed to evade the first strike. She wildly swung her claw at the bear, hoping to create an opening, but the puppet had been solidly build; it took her blow without falling apart.

'I have to get out of here!' Minu desperately thought, looking all over for an escape route. In front of, hulking over her, Ursine readied for another swung, drawing back its paw completely. This was all the time she was going to get and she knew it. Improvising as best she could, Minu jumped off the wall behind her and flew straight at Taka. She caught the hawk before it could be pulled back and with a single swipe of her glove cut it into pieces, rendering it useless for the remaining fight. Landing on Ursine's back and pushing off, she managed to escape Karasu's suppressive fire of poisoned needles and looked over the field.

Suddenly she saw what she had been looking for all the fight; one of the trees had grown an additional branch, one that hadn't been there in the previous matches, and it she closed her eyes a bit she could almost see a very thin line connecting to the Manato-look-alike puppet that was still in the middle of the arena.

Ursine was on her tail, but the massive bear was too slow to catch up to the agile Taijutsu mistress. Karasu fired one barrage after another, but Minu kept moving sideways to evade the projectiles. In a matter of seconds she had closed in on the suspicious tree and slashed at it, just as the branch tried to move away. Manato was too slow in moving aside; Minu's claw cut him in the chest, piercing flesh and bone and lung as easily as it would cut through butter.

The green-haired ninja let out a gurgling scream of pain as the air left his lungs through new and unnatural holes. Already blood was propping up inside the lungs, preventing him from breathing. At the other end of the arena, the three dolls that where still intact fell to the ground, his control over them shattered.

Minu doubled over, desperately trying to catch her breath as she saw the real Manato fall to the ground and twitch in pain. Kin appeared next to her and immediately announced her as the winner, giving the mist kunoichi an excuse to leave the arena immediately and treat herself for the poison that was still running in her veins. She had used chakra to contain the spreading of the poison in her blood, but had been draining and only worked so much. Thankfully, it wasn't a lethal poison, but a paralyzing one.

XxX

"Five puppets?" the Tsuchikage exclaimed in surprise as the fight below was unfolding. "My, it has been quite some time since I heard of so many puppets being used efficiently by one person… I seem to recall that only about twelve people in the past two decades had been able to properly use more then four puppets at a time, is that not true, Kazekage-dono? And not only that, but he also managed to conceal his location rather well while controlling all those puppets."

"Indeed it is." Gaara answered; his eyes still on the fight as Manato now cornered his opponent skillfully. "However, Manato has proven himself to be a highly talented puppet-user, one of the best our village has seen in well over a decade. And to add to his natural talent, last year he had also been granted the rare honor of serving as an apprentice to our most skilled puppet-mistress, Lady Chiyo. He has been taught by her personally for four months, which have greatly increased his skill."

Gaara silenced himself as he watched the Mist kunoichi escape the situation by a combination of daring and good luck, and suddenly notice her opponent. She quickly closed in on him and attacked, critically injuring him.

"Unfortunately, it seems that his skill has not yet been improved enough." Gaara dryly said as Manato fell to the ground spouting blood.

"Well, it looks like the first round is over." The Mizukage said with a large grin on her face. "And all three of my shinobi passed it. I can't say I can complain."

Down in the arena, medics rushed in once again to attend to Manato, while Minu quickly left the scene.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will now take a half-hour break before moving on to the second round of the exam's battles." Kin announced.

* * *

And another chapter filled with smaller battles, hope you liked them. Next chapter we'll move on to the second round.

Thanks to my beta Kushin-eX for going over this chapter for me.

And as always, please leave a review telling me what you think.

Some answers to some questions:

Drk Kitsune asks if Naruto will be getting revenge for his mom:

No he won't go out looking for revenge. This chapter and the actual chapter in which the act was revealed serve to prove the point that Naruto is NOT out for revenge. And aside from that… he didn't even know his mom.

Ancestor's Dragon asks if Izayoi is based off of a character from another series:

No Izayoi is my completely original character.

ChristinaAngel asks if Kushina became pregnant from the rape:

No she did not. If you recheck it, you'll see that Jiyu stated that the war – and consequent rape – happened a little under 24 years ago. Naruto is 16. do the math and you'll discover that there were quite a few years between the event of the rape and Naruto's birth.


	39. Chapter 39

IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm working on a scientific research project among gamers and fanfiction writers and I would like to ask everyone who reads this for assistance: our research is based on a questionnaire that I will link to in the next chapter, if you would all be so nice as to answer it that would really be a big help. The data will of course be completely anonymous. Thanks and enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

While outside the last battle had only just been ended, the entire team from the Hidden Cloud was in the medical wing. Samui had won her match with relative ease, suffering only a few minor injuries. And although Omoi had lost his match, he had not received any serious injuries either. Instead, they were both waiting just outside of the room where two medics were working hard on Karui.

After her sound defeat by the Sound's swordsman and team leader Suigetsu, the medics had been working on her nonstop. She had suffered severe burns all over her body thanks to the explosions that she had been caught up in, as well as internal bleeding from the lightning attack.

Omoi, being far more emotional then Samui, kept walking around nervously, looking at the medics at work through the large window. He was keeping his mouth shut to stop his doomsday thoughts from disturbing Samui – who, despite being an outward Ice Queen did care about her teammates and most certainly had feelings – and cursing his sister's situation. He was already missing the usual sensation of the lollipop in his mouth, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Yoyoyo, Why the down face? You gotta keep it up, don't you know, keep it up, or she'll end in a bad place!"

At once Samui and Omoi looked up; their teacher, Killer Bee, had joined them in looking over Karui's treatment and as usual didn't stop his annoying and very bad raps.

"Sensei, what're you doing here?" Omoi asked, looking up at the older man. "Shouldn't you and your brother be with Raikage-sama?"

"No need to worry yo, he's got it under control, 'cause he's my bro!" Bee replied, pulling out a new lollipop for Omoi. He immediately took it and started sucking on it. Although it wouldn't help him in any way – this being a regular lollipop instead of the explosive variation – it did sooth his nerves.

"So, what's the deal, what're they say? Will my girl live to see another day?"

"Yes, the medics have managed to stabilize her enough to ensure survival." Samui stated. "However, she has suffered heavy injuries. They're trying to heal her as much as possible so she can recover and continue her functions as a ninja."

"Ouch, that's a pain; the girl worked her ass of to get some gain!"

"Please sensei, stop the stupid raps." Omoi said. "They're getting on my nerves and I'm already on edge because of Karui. What if her wounds get infected? She'll die. Or maybe they'll –"

But before Omoi could continue any further, Killer Bee raised a hand, silencing him and again began a rap.

"Listen up, my little man, because that thought of yours ain't cool! You have to stay with ya feet on the floor! The medics, they be attending, to the needs of the pending. So don't be grim and don't go down, 'cause your friend still has to go a round!"

At this he pointed at Samui, but she didn't even look around. She had seated herself in a chair nearby and was focusing intently.

"So by now, I hope you see; Samui's all that's still in for free! So raise your hands and shout from the heart: Samui, win this without a fault!"

XxX

At the same time as Killer Bee had joined up with his students, two other hospital-wing patients also received visitors. Konohamaru was doing well, having suffered nothing more then some bruises by Naruto's mild attack, while Hanabi was doing significantly worse: the ice was still encasing her limbs, despite the medics continuously breathing a stream of fire on several large stones that were placed around her; it had been deemed too dangerous to launch the beams at her directly, since it could scorch her flesh and – if the ice melted too quickly – might even tear off her limbs.

It was in that state, with Konohamaru waiting inside Hanabi's very hot and stifling room, that they were greeted by a rather large company. Hyuuga Hiashi, Hinata and Neji had all entered, followed by Kiba, Shino, Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Tenten and finally Naruto.

"How are you?" Sakura asked as she checked over the young Leaf nin.

"I'm ok." He replied. "Just a bit bruised and in pain because of Nii-chan's hit, but other then that I'm good. I'm more worried about Hanabi-chan."

Hiashi didn't show any signs at the endearing title to his youngest daughter's name, but Hinata wasn't quite so controlled. She let out a giggle, but it was lost in the sound of the raging fires in the room.

"Hiashi-sama, if I may." Neji started. A wave of Hiashi's hand later, the Hyuuga activated his Byakugan, careful to seal Naruto out of his vision. He didn't want to be blinded by the amount of Chakra that the blond had.

"The ice around Hanabi-sama's limbs is still filled with Chakra, keeping it solid despite the high heat. At this rate, it will take several hours before the ice is melted."

"Hmm. What will happen if she's not freed from the ice quickly?" Shino asked, but before anyone could answer he already continued. "Her limbs will be permanently damaged. So we must remove the ice quickly." With that he stepped towards the medic and made his suggestion.

"What will happen if I have my insects remove most of the chakra and ice around her limbs? The ice around her will be significantly lessened, speeding up the removal of ice. Do you agree?"

The medic took a second to think about it, but then spoke up.

"Alright, if you can do that I think it'll help. Leave a layer of ice about two centimeters thick; that we should be able to remove quickly enough."

Before Shino started, however, Hinata quickly took a few steps forward and gently talked to her sister.

"Hana-chan, Shino-kun's going to use his bugs to help remove the ice from your limbs, don't be scared if you see them. They won't do anything but help. So don't flinch when you see them."

Shino raised his arms, releasing his destruction bugs. At the same time, a group of ants marched out from his pants. The bugs, being able to fly, quickly landed on the ice and started draining its chakra away. The ants crawled onto the table and spread over the ice that was encasing Hanabi and immediately started biting down on the solid substance. Before long, there was a steady streak of ants crawling all over Hanabi's body, biting off a chunk of ice and then lifting it to a corner of the room, causing a large black stream to appear from Hanabi's bed to the corner.

Like Shino had said, the work was finished in mere minutes. With the destruction bugs draining the chakra, the ants could easily pull off ice, reducing the overall ice remaining. And, as an added bonus, the ice was so full of chakra that most of his destruction bugs where well-sated before long.

Somewhere in the middle of Shino's treatment, Hanabi had woken up and reacted shocked at first. But with Hinata holding her head and telling her to be calm, she didn't move enough to interfere with the work.

As soon as it was done, the medics continued their treatment of blowing fire upon the rocks around Hanabi to thaw out the ice. The others all took this as their cue to leave, except for Konohamaru. He still kept looking between Hanabi and the departing group, as if he wasn't sure what he had just seen. He'd never even dreamt of a use such as that for Ninja skills.

If he had turned around when he left the room, he would have seen that Hanabi had a nearly identical look on her face.

XxX

Naruto returned to the participant's waiting room with plenty of time to spare. Just as he entered, he saw that Chihiro, who would fight against Suigetsu in his next match, was standing at attention. Another young man, wearing glasses, was talking to him and giving him orders.

"Remember the Mizukage's orders, Sen-san." The man said. Naruto recognized him as one of the two aids that the Mizukage had brought with her. Both had noticed Naruto's entry, but they weren't trying to keep their meeting a secret anyway. "Kill the missing nin Hozuki Suigetsu as soon as you get the chance, do not show him any mercy whatsoever. Killing is perfectly legal in this tournament and you must take advantage of it."

Apparently this man was either lacking in tact or the Mist Village made it very clear they wanted Suigetsu dead, because both of the Sound Nin where also standing in the room. Suigetsu looked downright bored, while Jugo was sitting in a corner, clutching his head. As the bespectacled man disappeared, Naruto sat down with a knowing grin on his face.

XxX

A minute before the thirty minute break was over, Suigetsu and Chihiro already walked into the arena. Naruto watched the duo from the balcony that the other contestants were allowed to use. There couldn't have been a starker contrast between the two: Suigetsu was looking bored, making a show of it by yawning and stretching, while Chihiro looked extremely nervous and tried to calm himself down by using some breathing techniques.

Exactly half an hour after she had left, Kin reappeared in the arena. Suigetsu and Chihiro gathered while she spoke up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Nobles and honored Kages, we now proceed with the second round of the tournament." At this a large round of cheers erupted from the crowd. "Our first match: Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound versus Sen Chihiro of the Hidden Cloud. BEGIN!"

Even before Kin had disappeared, Chihiro had jumped back to create distance between him and Suigetsu, hands flashing through seals. Suigetsu slowly unsheathed his sword, watching Chihiro as he did his seals.

When he was done with the seals, Chihiro bit down on both thumbs and slammed his hands to the ground, palms first.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique: Five Divine Destroyers!"

The entire arena was covered in smoke for a split second, but almost as quickly as it had come, the smoke was brushed away by a pair of huge wings. There were five huge dragons, each easily as large a house, surrounding Chihiro, each different from the last. There was one long, sleek dragon that was floating without wings; a large, spiked dragon that couldn't fly; a thick, short and broad-winged dragon; a dragon without claws and even a dragon with three heads. And each of those five dragons was watching Suigetsu, clearly intent on killing him in a second. The bits of blood, meat and other gore that most of the dragons still had surrounding their mouths didn't help either.

While the audience let out a gasp in surprise, Suigetsu let out a laugh and pulled back his blade.

"Don't tell me you thought that'd work." He taunted. "Pressure Blade!" As he swung his sword forward, a long and thin line of water erupted from the blade and reached across the entire arena. Chihiro was cut in half before he had even realized what'd happened. With their caster torn to pieces, the dragons also faded out of existence, showing them to be nothing more then a genjutsu.

While still grinning, Suigetsu turned around and stabbed the area directly behind him. The body of Chihiro that Suigetsu had cut apart had also disappeared, and now the third genjutsu he had cast also collapsed. The invisibility technique had not saved him from Suigetsu's stab into the chest. Suigetsu pulled his sword out, a thin line of blood following the blade, and Chihiro collapsed, clutching his chest. Suigetsu had aimed well; his blade had barely missed Chihiro's heart or vital blood arteries, but it had stabbed the lungs, preventing the genin from getting much needed air into his blood.

Kin appeared in the ring to announce Suigetsu the winner just as the medics rushed in. Naruto kept watching as Suigetsu walked out of the arena. The fight hadn't even lasted two minutes.

XxX

"The second match, Izayoi of the Hidden Mist versus Samui of the Hidden Cloud. Begin!"

Since there were next to no injuries to Chihiro's exterior, the medics had quickly pulled him aside and moved him over to the medical area. So, two minutes after Suigetsu's record-time victory, the two females faced each other.

Apparently, Samui had paid good attention to Izayoi's abilities, because she made sure to stay well clear of Izayoi. She threw a set of Kunai, her hands flashing through seals before the kunai had even covered half the distance.

A solid wall of ice materialized in front of Izayoi, protecting the black-haired girl from the blades. The following explosion, courtesy of an exploding tag, shattered the ice but was still unable to hit her.

"Lightning Element: Electric Yoyo!" From each of Samui's hands, a small burst of lightning gathered, connected in front of her and then shot out to Izayoi. Another mirror of ice appeared, but now something else happened. Instead of blocking or deflecting the attack, the mirror absorbed the lightning blast without a problem. Before Samui even had a chance to think about what had happened; that same blast of lightning suddenly shot away from Izayoi directly towards Samui. The blond cloud nin barely had a chance to fire of a second blast to cancel out the first one, but the point had been made: Samui's long-range attacks would be useless against the Ice Queen.

At a seal of Izayoi's, a number of ice needles appeared out of the air and aimed towards Samui. The busty blond dashed forward, using her Electric Yoyo technique to deflect the needles that she couldn't evade. Small, short and weak bursts of electrical energy shot forth, obliterating the needles as they neared her.

Only two steps removed from Izayoi, Samui had to duck to the side as a large spike of ice pierced the location her head had been a second before. Even while evading a second and third spike, Samui used more seals. She finished her seals just as she stepped within punching range of the Mist Ninja. At the same time, Izayoi was also moving through seals.

"Lightning Element: Thunder Break!" Samui's right arm was charged with lightning in an instant, turning it into a bolt of bright yellow lightning aimed directly at Izayoi's chest. It would take only a half second before the attack touched Izayoi and the shock would stun her.

"Ice Element: Absolute Zero." Within a tenth of a second, a wave of unmatched cold shot forth from Izayoi; blowing Samui back a bit, and it was instantly followed by everything around Izayoi being encased in ice. A second after Izayoi had used the technique, there was a perfect sphere with a ten meter diameter around her made of complete, solid ice. Samui was captured somewhere inside the ice, unable to resist or do anything at all.

"I claim victory." Izayoi's icy voice sounded again, barely above a whisper. Kin appeared and proclaimed the long-haired girl the victor.

XxX

Down in the arena, a group of ninja were busy trying to remove the solid orb of ice, with a odd-looking cloud ninja with more swords then anyone could ever use at once attached to him coming to help out as well, but the group of Konoha ninja where still sitting in the crowd. The group had now been completed, since Hinata and Neji had also joined them. Hiashi had given Hinata permission to stay with her friends, since Hanabi was already out of the tournament.

"I don't believe it…" Hinata slowly said, looking at the ice with her Byakugan. "There's so much chakra held inside that ice…"

"And she gathered that much chakra in less then a second." Neji added, standing next to her, his Byakugan also active.

"Should we really be that surprised about it?" Shino asked, looking down at the removal of the ice. "Of course we should not be. Even the small amount of ice surrounding Hanabi-san held more chakra then my bugs could remove. The amount of ice in this sphere is much higher, so the chakra should be exponentially higher."

"Yeah, yeah, you're 'prolly right." Kiba said, sitting atop Akamaru instead of a chair. "So, what exactly was the deal with those dragons? They looked seriously impressive."

"They weren't real." Sakura said, knowing Kiba's weakness to Genjutsu. "It was part of a genjutsu that that mist ninja used. He created a lot of smoke and five very menacing images, created a clone or used a genjutsu to make it look like he hadn't moved, and finally used a genjutsu to make himself invisible. But apparently he wasn't hiding well enough. That Suigetsu person easily saw through his technique and stabbed him."

"Yeah, I did notice that part, thank you very much." Kiba replied, annoyance clear in his voice. Meanwhile; Lee, Tenten, Shikamaru and Chouji were still watching as the ice below was broken. The Cloud ninja with the multitude of swords had performed some strange spinning technique and had quickly broken through the ice.

Leaving behind the majority of the Ice Orb, Samui was quickly dragged over to the medical wing.

"It's about to begin." Jiriaya said. "Naruto's going to fight, for real this time."

XxX

"Begin!" Kin disappeared and at the same time the massive Teken shot forward. He was much taller then Naruto and no doubt at least twice as heavy, but the blond hyperactive nin didn't even show any signs of caution. Teken pulled out his sword and slashed directly at Naruto's face. The blond simply leaned back, allowing the sword to pass over his nose harmlessly, before flipping back and punching Teken in the face.

Teken replied by kneeing Naruto in the stomach, but the black-clad Konoha ninja placed his hand on said knee and used it to push himself up into the air. Flipping over, Naruto landed behind Teken before the massive swordsman could turn around and elbowed him in the side. Teken collapsed to the left, reflexively flexing the side that had been hit. Naruto turned around, getting a clear shot at Teken's right side, which was now completely unprotected.

Naruto pulled back his right hand and punched Teken in the side full-force. At once the Rock ninja let out a loud and deafening wail of pain. But despite the pain, he did manage to force Naruto to back off and not continue his combination attacks.

This time Naruto charged forward, taking the initiative in the fight, but Teken didn't move to the side this time. Instead he held his sword out in front of him, two hands on the handle, and prepared himself. It was a neutral stance, suited for both defense and attack, but it was probably his best bet.

He slashed forward, blade barely missing Naruto's chest, and quickly spun around to evade a punch aimed to his temple. Using the opening that Naruto provided with that punch, Teken quickly drove his sword into Naruto's chest, piercing through skin, muscle and even bone; until Naruto suddenly erupted in a puff of smoke.

Before Teken had a chance to recover from his shock of having stabbed a Shadow Clone rather then the real thing, Naruto appeared behind him and punched him in the back of the head. Teken was out cold before he even touched the ground.

Again, Kin appeared in the arena and, after examining Teken for a second, declared Naruto the winner. Like before, he left under while applause, most of the audience calling him Tempest once again.

XxX

"Last fight of the quarter-finals, Jugo of the Hidden Sound versus Spira Minu of the Hidden Mist. BEGIN!"

"Please, I must ask you to surrender." Jugo said, just as Minu prepared to rush him, her bladed glove at the ready. "I don't want to harm you."

"That's nice, but you won't. I'll defeat you before you can even touch me, you big, impotent wimp."

"I won't be angered by your insults. But I must ask that you surrender, before I lose control of myself."

"Well, if you want to avoid the fight so badly, feel free to surrender yourself. I won't be doing anything like that."

"I can not." Jugo simply said.

"Well, too bad!" Minu cried as she dashed forward. Her claw moved to cut Jugo, but he was much faster then she had anticipated. He grabbed her arm, pulled it to get the kunoichi out of balance and then threw her to the ground like she was a ragdoll.

"Now will you surrender?"

"Not on my life!"

In a single fluid motion, Minu stood up and attacked again. She was now moving too fast for Jugo to grab her again, but he still managed to evade or deflect all of her attacks.

'Damn, he's fast for such a huge guy.' Minu thought in frustration. 'But let's see if he falls for this…'

Feigning exhaustion, Minu slowed down her attacks bit by bit, until she was certain that Jugo could capture her again if he so wanted. He did just that.

As Jugo caught Minu's left hand in an attempt to gently hold her down again, Minu made her move. Twisting her hand around so she was holding Jugo's hand, she slashed with her glove. The trick had worked perfectly; Minu made a deep cut across Jugo's chest, causing a small fountain of blood to appear.

But before she could even realize how much damage she had done, Jugo's grip on her wrist intensified tenfold and she was again tossed aside. But now all gentleness was gone, replaced by something not quite the same as rage, but very similar. Crashing to the ground, Minu looked up to see Jugo clutching his head as he screamed, rather the still bleeding wounds on his chest.

And suddenly, Jugo's skin started to glow, odd shapes appearing all over him. And suddenly, completely ignoring the heavy bleeds on his chest, Jugo stood up and burst out laughing. His voice had changed almost as much as his skin had; it sounded deranged, changing tones even as he laughed, and was much louder then his usual voice.

"Gahahaha, Kill, I'm going to kill. Who? Who am I going to do it to? So many people, so many I can kill!" as he was yelling at the top of his loud voice, Jugo was looking towards the audience, clearly thinking he could kill them at will.

"What the hell…" Minu started. At that point, Jugo seemingly remembered her, because he turned around and looked at her. This was the final conformation that she needed to know that he was not the same as before. His eyes were different, showing madness, but the most obvious change was the sudden Killing Intent that he was releasing. The sheer feeling of the killing intent was enough to paralyze Minu to the spot.

"I've found one!" Jugo yelled. "I've found the first one! Kill her; I'm going to do it! I'm going to kill the first one I see!"

And suddenly, Jugo shot forward almost twice as fast as his previous movements.

* * *

As always thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

please leave a review telling me what you think

thanks to both Doctor Yami and Soundless Steps for correcting double-typing Deflect in the Samui VS Izayoi fight.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing, especially the Narutoverse.

Import note: This is a link to the enquiry for my research I told everyone about last chapter.

http:(slash)(slash)www(dot)studentenenquete(dot)nl(slash)vragen(slash)index(dot)php?sid=49199&lang=en

to follow it, copy it into your webbrowser and replace the things in the parenthesis with the normal sign. So (dot) = . I'd like to ask you all to fill it in, it should take about 15 minutes. Thanks in advance for filling it out everyone.

* * *

Surprised by Jugo's sudden boost in speed, Minu was barely able to evade the charge. She managed to sidestep Jugo's chest, but was too slow to evade his swinging arm. With enough force to spin her around, Jugo's arm hit the Mist Kunoichi straight in the neck. Before she could make a full rotation and crash on the ground though, a large hand suddenly grabbed her head and pulled.

Still numb with pain and feeling an intense pain in her throat, Minu was barely able to breath as she looked at Jugo's face again. Gone was the worried, wimpy and even kind-looking giant, replaced by a tattooed, laughing madman. The tattoos continued to spread and change even now, glowing a fiery red as it altered shape time and time again.

Suddenly she was flying, her neck nearly broken from the sudden and powerful throw. It had taken no more then a flick of Jugo's wrist to send the slim kunoichi up in the air. He was next to her a second later, still howling with laughter as he planted his fist into her stomach. Minu could feel her ribs crack under the blow, but before the pain could even register properly she slammed into a wall. The impact made sure that her ribs were completely broken, possibly even damage to her spine.

But before she could make such an assessment, the grey-clad Sound was again holding her up by the head. His hand was large enough to cover most of her face, making her look through his fingers. But although it was the same hand that had held her up before, something was different now. It was glowing like the tattoos, the skin changing. Scales and scrubs started to appear, a dull gray color. A hole started to grow in his hand as the tip of his elbow started to grow, extending backwards. The fingers turned to talons, slowly digging their way into the soft flesh of Minu's face. With shock and fear as her dominating emotion, Minu's eyes were drawn to Jugo's.

He was still grinning, a near ecstatic look on his face as he prepared to deal a finishing blow. The left side of his face – the same side as the hand that was holding him up – had also turned grey, the white of his eyes turning black and his pupils yellow. He was, to Minu's eyes, a true demon.

"DIE! DIE, DIE, DIE!" Jugo started yelling, insanity clear in his voice. "I'm gonna kill you! KILL, KILL, KILL!"

All of a sudden the extension of Jugo's elbow's altered form, gaining the exact same size as the hole in Jugo's hand. Before the kunoichi had time to realize what was going to happen, Jugo struck. The extension shot forward, chakra-created steam erupting from the pressure barrel. With a sickening splash, the remains of Minu's head were splattered across the wall, painting it a combination of red and grey.

Suddenly Jugo's other arm also changed, becoming a huge semi-circular blade, and in the next moment he had cut the remains of Minu in two. Jugo turned around, blood covering him all over, as the two pieces of Minu's body slit to the floor. Laughter still resounding through the entire arena, Jugo crouched down; ready to jump and continue the killing he so loved.

Suddenly he froze, his laughter immediately dying down.

XxX

Up in the Kage box, Kabuto – allowed in the box as Orochimaru's direct assistant – had his hands up in a seal. Next to him, Orochimaru chuckled while the other village leaders all looked surprised or shocked. They were no strangers to violence and bloodshed, but this was not what they had expected in a Chuunin exam.

"What in the world was that?" The Mizukage was the first to recover, sitting back in her seat and rubbing her chin in thought. "He was completely different then before and his entire body could seemingly change at will."

"Kukuku, that's a very good analysis, Mizukage-dono." Orochimaru mocked. At once all five Kage were upon him. "Jugo is, without a doubt, one of my stronger shinobi, but he can be somewhat… unstable… at times. His power is of such a nature that it can control him at times, driving him to do what you just saw. So, in order to keep a certain level of control over him, he is kept under a Genjutsu at all times. It is a special technique that Kabuto and I created ourselves. It is a three-stage technique. Normally, he is kept only under the first stage, which greatly suppresses his killing intent, transforming him into the meek person you've seen before now. It does not stop his killing intent from rising when he gets distracted, so it does not reduce his fighting ability. The second stage is what you see before you: it interrupts his nerves from sending signals to his muscles, effectively paralyzing him. The third and final level shuts down many of his brain functions, forcing him into a deep sleep he will not awake from unless released."

It was silent for a few seconds as each Kage and their assistant processed the information. There was one message that they all worried about: this display of overwhelming power was still a suppressed form. A small flicker of her eyes was all that gave away Tsunade's sudden worry. Naruto would next have to fight the orange-haired, schizophrenic psychopath.

The flicker wasn't wasted on Orochimaru. He chuckled again as he spoke.

"Kukuku, I send Jugo to this exam so he could perhaps learn to control his powers a bit better. And if that wouldn't work… nothing would be lost."

XxX

Another half-hour break had been ordered by the examiners, who had sent crews to remove the remains of ice and blood in the arena, and Naruto had taken some time to meet up with his friends again. Konohamaru and Hanabi had already been allowed to rejoin them. Konohamaru had nothing to show for his defeat, although he said he still felt some pain, while Hanabi was a bit worse off. She had been forced into a sweater by the medics and was layered in no less then three blankets to keep her warm.

Just as he arrived Sakura and Kiba let out a joint sigh of frustration.

"What is up with all these breaks?" The pink-haired medic wondered aloud. "In our exam we didn't have any breaks up until the final match. They're holding it up for half an hour every chance they get…"

"No shit… But these breaks do allow you to go and get some food if you want" Kiba agreed, reaching for the sandwich he had bought a few minutes before. Guess they want to make more money with that or something."

"Perhaps," Shino said, also taking a bite in a sandwich of his own. "But what has happened in each round of matches in this tournament? Each round left significant marking on the arena itself, that's what. The examiners had to clear and reorganize the arena after every round."

"Didn't stop them in Mist when Chouji and I tore up the entire arena in our quarter-final match two years ago." Kiba was still very audible despite eating with a full mouth. He raised an arm in a friendly wave without looking over his back. "Yo, Naruto, nice going so far."

"Thanks Kiba." Naruto said, forcefully tearing his eyes away from what they had been examining before. From where he stood, just behind the group, he had had a perfect view of Hinata's behind. It was as alluring as it had been in his dreams of the Hyuuga heiress. Fortunately, the others had all missed Naruto's start of puberty, so they didn't notice his slight disturbance. Only Jiraiya would have seen, but he was still observing the arena, obviously lost in thought. Naruto walked past the others – his eyes lingering on Hinata a second longer then was necessary, moving just a bit closer then he had to so he could slip in between her and Neji – and joined his master at the railing.

"So, what'd you think Ero-Sennin?"

"It's obvious he has some sort of Curse Seal, but it's different then the ones you had encountered three years ago. It's much more powerful as well. While you were gone, Shizune came over and informed us that Orochimaru was kind enough to let a little secret out: Jugo is held under a constant Genjutsu to suppress his powers. What we saw just now isn't his full power."

"I already figured out that much." Naruto leaned forward, his voice dropping to just above a whisper. "When I fought Sasuke three years ago, at full power he was completely transformed. Shikamaru and the others said that the same had happened to the Sound's Four. He only showed a partial transformation."

"Tsunade sends word that you have to be careful. Orochimaru said that Jugo's goal is to learn to control himself…"

"But it wouldn't be odd for him to 'mysteriously' break his Genjutsu when things get tough against me, would it?"

"Exactly; we still know next to nothing about him, only that he can transform."

"And the only thing he knows about me is what Sasuke would have already told them. I've made sure not to reveal any of my key techniques."

"I noticed. The others are showing off a bit more, but don't underestimate them."

"Tell me about it." By now Naruto turned around, his eyes locked on the ceiling. "These last three matches… they'll be real battles. The others were against or between people far below our level."

XxX

Like many others, the Mizukage had taken the half-hour break to stretch her legs and get out of the Kage box. Just as she had ordered, having sent her aide down, Izayoi was waiting for her a little down the hallway. As always, the Mizukage felt a twinge of unease, a troubled feeling, a deep disgust, when she neared the long-haired Kunoichi.

"Izayoi, you've made it to the semi-finals." Her tone, as it always was with the demon-carrier, was short and direct. The Mizukage didn't want to talk with her any longer then necessary. "Your next opponent is Suigetsu. Your orders are to kill him, using any means possible. He is a traitor that can not be allowed to survive."

The Ice Queen nodded once, enough to acknowledge the orders. She made no other movement, waiting to be dismissed. For her part, the Mizukage turned around, ready to leave the kunoichi behind, but suddenly halted. Worry was nagging at her, but not of concern for her kunoichi. Izayoi was strong, that was without a doubt, but the Mizukage had no love for her. No, the doubt was about something else.

"Izayoi," The long-haired teenager had already turned around, ready to leave, but immediately returned to attention. "Be cautious. Suigetsu is acting very strange, very different from when he escaped us five years ago. He has, so far, refrained from killing his opponents in the tournament – which is odd – but shown deadly skill nevertheless. Be prepared for anything."

Without waiting for a reply, the Mizukage continued walking, quickly leaving the area. Izayoi followed her example, never saying a word.

XxX

"Suigetsu-kun, please be so kind to hold him down." Kabuto said, standing next to the huge, frozen frame of Jugo. "This shouldn't take more then a few seconds."

Behind the bespectacled medic, Suigetsu's hands quickly formed seals as Kabuto returned Jugo to the first level of the Suppressing Bind Technique. Now that he could move again, Jugo immediately charged at the fist person who could; Kabuto.

Before he had even taken two steps his arms and legs were frozen in place again, courtesy of Suigetsu's technique. 2 streams of water erupted from each hand, binding a foot or hand to prevent the berserk giant from moving. Kabuto didn't look a bit worried as he formed some more seals. Suddenly his hand started to glow a blue-ish green as his special medical technique activated.

Leaning forward, Kabuto placed the blue-green hand on Jugo's face. Almost immediately the Curse Seal began to glow and retract as Jugo's muscles relaxed. Kabuto held his hand on a few more seconds, until Jugo was hanging in the watery ropes. With a nod, Kabuto ordered Suigetsu to put down the orange-haired man.

Jugo crashed to the floor, his body shaking with sobs. Realizing there was no more danger; Suigetsu left the room to prepare for his own match. He had another six minutes to finalize his strategy against Izayoi.

"Jugo, stand up." Kabuto ordered. For almost a full minute, Jugo didn't reply or move, his body still shaken by silent sobs. Then, slowly, he stood up with difficulty. Kabuto had suppressed all his rage and killing intent, but Jugo was still in pain from the deep wound on his chest that Minu had given him. And he knew that, despite everything he had hoped for, he had killed someone else again.

"Take off your shirt; I'll heal your injuries." Kabuto said, crouching down with a friendly smile on his face. "We need you at full strength for your next fight. And when you're healed, start preparing. You do remember the mission that Orochimaru-sama has given you, don't you?"

Tear marks still on his face, Jugo removed his shirt as he was told. With a sad look on his face, he nodded at Kabuto; he still knew his orders.

XxX

Once again, three people had gathered in the midst of the arena. Suigetsu stood across from his opponent, Izayoi, while Kin stood in between them, her hands raised above her head.

"Ladies and gentlemen, honored nobles, great Kage's, we will now proceed to the semi-final round. The first match will begin now: Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound versus Izayoi of the Hidden Mist. BEGIN!"

At the same time as Kin brought down her arms and erupted in a poof of smoke, Suigetsu had charged forward, his sword already in hand. Already; a variation of Ice Needles was raining down on the blue-haired swordsman, but he moved so low and fast that they all missed. He was upon his opponent in less then a second, his sword a mere blur to the eye.

Despite the speed of his strike, it was stopped before it was even halfway to Izayoi. A barrier of ice had appeared, stopping the blow at once. Not stopping at one strike, Suigetsu quickly sidestepped behind the barrier, dodging another rain of needles, rotated around to evade several spikes of ice that shot forth from his hideout, and slashed again. Another barrier of ice, this one a bit closer to it's creator, materialized out of thin air to stop the sword. Again Suigetsu moved aside, evading new strikes and slashed again.

Although neither opponent had managed to land a hit yet, one thing was obvious: Suigetsu was closing in on Izayoi with every attack, the barriers appearing an inch or less closer to the kunoichi each time. But the barriers had remained after each strike; although they gained large spikes to prevent the Sound Nin from getting close enough for a strike. Before long, Izayoi was completely covered by walls of ice, less then a meter away from her.

Suigetsu broke out into a wide grin as he jumped up and, spinning around, landed right in between the barriers. The room was far too small for his sword to be swung around, but Suigetsu still had fists and feet. Even with her opponent so close by, Izayoi made next to no movements, her hands continuously making seals. Suigetsu's right fist was almost upon her when a small piece of ice, barely wider then his fist and no more then a centimeter thick, appeared out of thin air right in front of the attack.

Despite it's size, the barrier was strong enough to block Suigetsu's assault. Another miniature barrier appeared to block his first kick, and another for his second kick. A double-attack, punching with his right and kicking with his left, was blocked by two of the small barriers. At the same time, new spikes appeared on the walls that surrounded the duo, each of them aimed at Izayoi's attacker.

But the lack of efficiency of his attacks didn't stop Suigetsu at all. The barriers that had stopped his attacks still remained, floating in mid-air to easily interrupt new attacks. With a grin, Suigetsu pulled his sword in front of him, holding it perfectly vertically.

"Chidori Current."

The lightning that burst from the weapon, having been stored there in preparation, shot through the small prison of ice. Suigetsu remained unharmed, since it was his own chakra, but neither Izayoi nor her barriers were so lucky. The Ice Techniques that Izayoi had been using had made the air very humid, making it able to actually conduct the lightning attacks. The barriers cracked under the force, while Izayoi was shocked continuously.

Biting through the pain, Izayoi again formed a seal. At once all the ice in the area shattered and shot forth, drawn to Suigetsu like metal to a magnet. He jumped up; evading the first barrage, but the second attack followed him in the air. Like only a master swordsman could do, Suigetsu swung his sword and shattered each ice spike as they neared him. What he wasn't prepared for, however, was each shard of ice – innumerable and some even invisible – that were floating around him suddenly shot forward and attacked him.

Izayoi's control of the ice was far greater then he had expected. His only fortune was the size of the shards, too small to deal any permanent damage. A quick burst of Chidori Current evaporated the remains of the ice, freeing him from the torment.

Both shinobi stood facing each other, analyzing the situation after their first assault. Izayoi had suffered minor burns and shock damage from the Chidori Current, while Suigetsu had several small, nearly painless but annoying injuries all over his entire body, some of them bleeding.

Suigetsu crouched down, ready to charge once again, when all of a sudden a multitude of solid ice rectangular shapes appeared all around him. Each of them had an image of Izayoi in it, reading more attacks. In the mirrors and outside, more Ice Needles were formed out of thin air. Bracing himself, Suigetsu crouched down with his sword held at the ready. Izayoi let the needles fly.

"Ice Element: Trap of the Demonic Ice Mirrors." Izayoi's voice was barely above a whisper, her tone as cold as winter's hardest frost.

Displaying reflexes that bordered on the super-human, Suigetsu ducked, sidestepped, rolled, parried, deflected and slashed around at the omni-directional assault and evaded or stopped almost all hits. And the ones that did hit were minor injuries, annoyances at best.

Suddenly Suigetsu stabbed his sword into the ground as he moved through seals as fast as he could. At the same time, Izayoi prepared another barrage of needles, but now added bigger, stronger and heavier needles as well as a variation in the shapes the ice took. Her attacks wouldn't be so easily deflected again.

Suigetsu finished his seals at the same time as Izayoi let her barrage fly.

"I've had it with you little tricks. Fire Element: Vulcan Wave!" Suigetsu shouted. At once a wave of blinding, scorching red light erupted from his body, followed a split second later by a rage of flames, creating a flaming orb around the swordsman. The heat of the initial wave melted most of the ice weapons, but the force of the second wave cracked and burst through the Ice mirrors themselves.

The flames had passed as quickly as they had appeared, but all the ice weapons were completely gone, devoured by the fire. Only pieces of the mirrors remained, falling to the ground. From one of these pieces, directly above and behind Suigetsu, Izayoi shot forth a dagger of ice held in each hand. Suigetsu grabbed his sword and turned around to meet her.

Blood flew across the burned arena grounds.

The cloud of steam that had appeared because of the sudden combustion blew away, revealing both combatants to the crowd. Izayoi was crouching down, holding her left arm at the elbow. A deep, angry cut ran along the length of her arm, bleeding severely. Across form her, Suigetsu had also dropped to one knee, sword in his left hand as his right clutched his side. One of Izayoi's daggers was still inside of his skin, having pierced his right side. With a grunt, knowing the level of control his opponent had over the ice, Suigetsu pulled the blade out. Blood so dark it was almost black flooded from the wound.

A pained look on her face, possibly the first sign of any emotion from the Ice Queen, Izayoi lifted her hands together again. The distance between her and Suigetsu was well within her reach, but there might be just enough time for him to strike back.

"Ice Element: Absolute Zero."

Just as he with her match against Samui, a wave of frost burst forth from Izayoi, freezing everything around her in a split second. Because of the distance, Suigetsu had enough time to pull his sword and use the countermeasure he had thought of.

"Water Element: Pressure Blade." Still clutching his bleeding side with one hand, Suigetsu slashed out. A thin line of water burst forth, slashing the growing orb of ice horizontally. Upon contact with the freezing wave, the water instantly froze, but it didn't lose it's forward momentum. Fast-moving, thin-shaped spikes of ice shot forward, aimed directly at Izayoi. In the same movement Suigetsu planned his sword back into the ground and released a follow-up technique.

"Chidori Current." The flow of electricity, rather then being used in the air, seemed to crawl along the ground at a speed only lightning could reach. Despite the delay in usage, it was upon the frozen sphere at the same time as the Pressure Blade.

Izayoi at once knew that, even if her Ice barriers would be enough to stop the ice spikes created by Pressure Blade, as soon as the electric attacked neared her she would be shocked again. And from there, it was an easy kill. So she escaped in the only direction that was left to her: she jumped up, a shaft appearing in the ice for her. But the frozen sphere had already reached far higher then anyone could have jumped without a running start, there was no way she would ever reach the end of the technique in time. She would need more speed to reach the top. There was only one way.

With a look of concentration on her face, four wings unfolded from underneath Izayoi's hair. They were odd, strangely shaped, nothing like each other and far too small for her size, but they did their work. Flapping them madly, Izayoi gained the speed boost needed to escape the icy prison just as it was electrocuted.

For a second there was absolute silence in the arena as both Suigetsu and the crowd took in the sudden change. Then the shinobi present realized that it wasn't a change: Izayoi had not transformed or anything of the sort, but she had hidden her wings under her mass of black hair. The wings were definitely small enough for that; each was only about as long as her arm. But besides the length of the wings, everyone noticed something else as well.

Each of the four wings was different. The top-left was an eagle's wing, while the top-right was that of a hawk. The lower-left wing was a condor's and it's mirror belonged to an owl. Four different wings in four different colors; each from a different bird of prey. While flapping her wings to keep her height, Izayoi again forced her hands into seals. A few ice weapons were created again, flying towards Suigetsu. As the weapons flew, Izayoi's hands flashed through seals again.

With obvious difficulty, using his sword as a makeshift cane, Suigetsu got back on his feet and started to run so he could avoid the weaponry that Izayoi was shooting at him. His right hand was still clutching his side, but it was already black, the blood flowing past it. The simple act of moving had increased the amount of blood flowing towards the wound. He needed to end this quickly or he'd die from blood loss.

Suigetsu gripped his sword and swung it again, releasing his favored rang-improving technique. The distance between him and his target, combined with his reduced aim due to blood loss, it was easy enough to evade. Izayoi dropped down, easily letting the attack pass over her head, but she seemed to have great difficulty to stabilize herself in the air afterwards.

Suigetsu crashed to the ground again, more blood seeping through his hand as he gasped for breath. Finally, after nearly half a minute of non-stop seal making, Izayoi finished her technique. From the snake-seal, Izayoi moved her hands outward, a glowing ball of icy-white energy forming in between her hands. With a flick of her wrists, she tossed the ball to the ground.

"Ice Element: Winter Frost."

As soon as the ball made contact, a blinding light erupted, along with the sound of rapidly expanding ice. From the ball outward ice began to cover the arena, expanding meter by meter, growing spikes and swallowing them up, only to shoot out new spikes. Stunned by pain, Suigetsu could not evade the spikes, or the following frost. He was skewered and, before the pain could even show on his face, enveloped by the ice. For almost a minute more the ice kept expanding, until finally it completely covered the arena.

More unstable in the air with each passing second, her wings obviously having difficulty to control her, Izayoi began to descend. Her breathing was heavy, clutching her cut left arm in pain. The constant seal-making had only increased the bleeding, so now her arm and hair were covered in blood.

She was only two or three meters above the ice and dropping quickly, when Suigetsu suddenly appeared out of nowhere. There was a faint shimmer about his as he slashed at Izayoi's side. She was too slow to evade, only managing to cut Suigetsu's sword-arm with a quickly-created ice dagger. From the corner of her eye, Izayoi could see the fake Suigetsu fade away in the ice.

A genjutsu.

While she had realized that, Izayoi had struggled to regain altitude, flapping her wings as fast as she could. All of a sudden, Suigetsu was now just above and in front of her, his sword ready to strike, having seemingly grown wings of his own; the back of shirt was torn and two large shapes had grown from his back, but they had retracted before Izayoi could properly identify them. Pain erupted all over Izayoi's body as Suigetsu's blade pierced her. A quick twist of her hips had prevented the blade from piercing her heart, so the attack was not instantly fatal, but with the wound going through her entire body it was still a fatal wound unless treated quickly.

Before Suigetsu could kill the Mist kunoichi by electrocution, his grip on the sword slacked as he fell down, his hand relaxing against his will. He crashed to the ice on the ground at the same time as Izayoi, both bleeding severely from their numerous injuries. Suigetsu was struggling to remain conscious, his hand trying to reach out for the blade the still pierced Izayoi. For her part, the black-haired demon-carrier grabbed the blade of the sword with both her hands and, slowly, pulled the blade out. Both were stark-white from blood loss.

Izayoi could feel consciousness slipping away from her, but she knew there was one more thing she needed to do. Extending her right hand so it pointed at her opponent, she tried to form an ice spike to penetrate Suigetsu's skull. In his condition and at this range, there was nothing he could do to evade it. Before she could focus her chakra though, there was a strange feeling from somewhere inside of her that told her not too.

Instead of the spike of ice to kill, the ice grew from Izayoi's other hand, freezing her injuries and stopping the bleeding. The cold in her body, so close to her heart, immediately made her pass out. Suigetsu's hand finally found his sword, which Izayoi had dropped after pulling it out of her chest, and he seemed to regain some strength from the weapon. Black and red blood flowing freely from his wounds; he gritted his teeth and pushed himself back up. His vision swam, making him see four versions of the girl he had defeated, but with sheer force of will he forced himself back up.

Up in the kage box, the Tsuchikage nodded once and immediately Kin appeared again, a look of surprise visible upon her one eye. She raised a hand to make her announcement.

"Winner: Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound!"

Suigetsu crashed down to the ground as soon as he saw all the seven versions of Kin lower their arms. The Ice all across the arena suddenly melted at once, Izayoi's chakra no longer supporting it now that she was knocked out. The water, easily knee-high, threatened to drown the two unconscious shinobi. But before they could even properly submerge, Kabuto had appeared in between them and lifted both up by what remained of their shirts.

"Would you please be so kind as to call a team of medics to look after his young lady?" he asked with a kind smile on his face, looking at the examiner. "I'll look after Suigetsu-kun." Ignoring her injuries, Kabuto tossed Izayoi over to Kin, vanishing from sight with Suigetsu on his shoulder.

As Kin summoned the medics, carrying the girl on her shoulder to get her there quicker, Naruto looked down at the arena with a look of utmost concentration. Next to him, all his friends had looks that displayed they were awestruck by what they had seen, none more so then the two junior ninja. Nothing like this had ever been expected at a Chuunin exam.

XxX

"Wow, in the name of Jashin-sama, that was some kick-ass freaking violence!" Hidan shouted, joining in the cheer of appreciation that the crowd was giving. The match had been by far the most exciting fight yet. "With fighting like that and that other fucked up bastard that wants to kill everyone that gets anywhere near his fucking area Jashin-sama may yet be pleased with this idiotic tournament."

Kakuzu, sitting next to him, pulled him down by his shirt and punched him in the back of the head. The genjutsu that covered them would make it seem like nothing more then a wife giving an ordinary correcting smack to her husband's head. No-one around looked up at the abuse: Kakuzu had had to slap Hidan down every two or so minutes since arriving.

"For God's sake, will you keep your freaking mouth shut for once, you goddamn idiot! Itachi's genjutsu might disguise our appearance and behavior; it doesn't alter what we say. Keep going on with all your religious bullshit and you're going to get us busted!"

"Like I give a shit about that," Hidan said as he sat down, almost fuming. "What I wouldn't care to send all of these blasphemous bastards straight to Jashin-sama. With you leading the fucking line for your insults at My Lord." After a few more seconds, in which both Akatsuki members calmed their tempers a bit, Hidan spoke up again.

"So, do all Jinchuuriki have odd things like those wings? 'Cause I didn't hear a fucking thing about them having mutations like that."

"If you'd paid attention you'd have noticed that every one of the Jinchuuriki had some form of mutation on their bodies. For the most part it's small and insignificant, like the Ichibi's eyes having lines, or the Yonbi's miniature horns. It seems like this host has mutated to a far more advanced stage then the others and has gained some use from it too. But I wonder what demon there is inside of her; the chakra I can feel from her feels different from the Tailed Demons."

"Ah, whatever, who gives a shit? Let's just go and capture that bitch, she won't be able to resist us like that."

"No not yet. Our orders were to wait until both hosts are weakened. The Kyuubi's match is up next, against your favored murderer. That should weaken the Jinchuuriki quite a bit."

"MORE freaking waiting!?"

* * *

As always, much thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter and correcting my mistakes.

Many thanks to everyone for the reviews; I have now passed the 2000 reviews mark!!! VFSNAKE has given me the 2000th review, many thanks!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review telling me what you think.

Also, congrats to Lord of the Morning for recognizing that I was using the attacks from EOTL (Veritas) for the Lightning elemental attacks. They're just too awesome not to use.


	41. Chapter 41

Disclaimer: don't own the Narutoverse, not earning any money with it either.

IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Like I said in the last two chapters, I'm working on a research and would like everyone who reads this to follow this link

http:(slash)(slash)www(dot)studentenenquete(dot)nl(slash)vragen(slash)?sid=49199〈=en

and fill out the enquiry, it will help out the research quite a bit and you'll have my big thanks.

Thanks to any- and everyone who's already filled it in. and like before, remove all the parenthesis and replace it with what it says. (slash) = / etc

XXXxxxXXXxxx

"This room should do." Kabuto said as he carefully placed Suigetsu on the ground in a side room of the arena. The blue-haired swordsman had taken the medic's advice, remaining silent while struggling to stay conscious. Already the medics hands and clothing were covered in blood, but it didn't bother him one bit; he was used to it. His hands started to glow green as he moved it over Suigetsu's injuries, analyzing the wounds with his technique.

"Hmm, that's a good thing." He finally concluded, before placing another blood increasing pill in Suigetsu's mouth. "Well, Suigetsu-kun, I've got good news for you. The cuts themselves are deep, but fortunately there haven't been any complications. I'll close up the injuries, but it'll take me a few minutes. And afterwards the wounds might still affect you, so you should avoid getting hit there if you can help it."

As Kabuto moved his hands moving through more seals in preparation, Suigetsu raised a hand and placed it on the medic's arm.

"No, not here." He finally said, surprising amounts of authority in his weak voice. "Take me somewhere…. Somewhere I can see the battle between Naruto and Jugo." Apparently, the thought of the fight strengthened him, because the swordsman slowly managed to force himself half-up with one arm, before the medic supported him. Looking him in the eyes, Kabuto finally seemed to give in.

"Very well… We'll move to a location where you can see the fight. But not before you take two of these." Pulling two more Blood Increasing Pills from his pouch, Kabuto placed them in Suigetsu's mouth. That was four pills in less then five minutes, if he wasn't careful Kabuto might end up poisoning the boy, which would seriously hamper Orochimaru-sama's plans.

"However, as soon as we get there I have to continue the healing." Kabuto spoke as if nothing was wrong, despite his silent worrying. "The match will begin in another five minutes, and I must return to Orochimaru-sama's side before the fight grows out of hand."

Suigetsu nodded as he swallowed the second pill, allowing Kabuto to pick him up as he quickly teleported the two of them to the roof. From there, they had a perfect view of the arena, while staying above eyesight of most viewers. Not everyone needed to see the two layers of skin that Kabuto was going to have to heal.

XxX

At the same time, a genin messenger had been sent from the medical wing to the Kage's box to report. As soon as the young boy reached the entrance to the box, he froze and waited a signal of the Tsuchikage.

With a nod the leader of Stone Village welcomed the child and waited for the report.

"Tsuchikage-sama, honorable Kages, Master Orochimaru of the Sound, the medics report on the state of the shinobi after their last match." The boy kneeled in show of respect of the great ninjas in front of him and his voice betrayed more then a shiver of fear. None of the kage-level ninja present cared about it one bit, more interested in the condition of the fighters.

"Hozuki Suigetsu of the Hidden Sound is being tended to by a personal medic, while the resident head medic is taking care of Izayoi of the Hidden Mist. The head medic sends word that she has stabilized and most of her injuries are being tended to. Apparently, her act of freezing herself has served to prevent the injuries from decaying, allowing the medics to focus on healing, as the ice itself was rapidly melting inside her body."

"Thank you, Rinka, you may leave." The Tsuchikage dismissed the boy, knowing his name like the man did with every single shinobi working for the Nation of Earth. His good memory had saved him on more then one occasion and the simple fact of knowing every single name and face of those who served under him had made the Tsuchikage a popular man amongst his people. Looking highly relieved, Rinka turned and left the box.

"Well, at least your precious demon container isn't hurt, Mizukage-dono." Orochimaru said tauntingly. "That's always good to hear isn't it? You looked so worried since she was carried off."

"You of all people should know I care little for the safety or survival of those who don't live up to my expectations Snake." The spiky-haired woman returned. "No, my mind was on something else entirely." In her own mind, the leader of the Mist Village finished her sentence. 'Why did Izayoi disobey my order to kill your traitor to prevent herself from dying. She has always been taught to see her orders through, no matter the cost.'

Lost in thoughts, the Mizukage's eyes rested on the form of Yugito Nii, standing just behind the Raikage as his personal assistant, and she felt the familiar feeling of dislike raising. She really could not bring herself to like those demon carriers. The Cloud Jounin did feel the burning stare of the Swordswoman, but only returned a polite nod.

XxX

It was dark in the room, the windows blinded and the light turned off. Jugo preferred it in the dark; the dark allowed him to remain hidden from the world, and the world would remain hidden from him. Those he couldn't see, he couldn't hurt. Those who couldn't see him, couldn't fear him.

It was in that darkness that Jugo sat against a wall, hugging his legs close to his chest, burying his face in his knees. His tears had stopped a minute or three ago, but he still remained in that position, because he never ever wanted to get up again. Getting up meant he had to fight again… and in this next fight, he had to kill.

'I can't stop now, I have to do this.' Jugo mentally reminded himself. 'If I do this, I'll be cured, Orochimaru will make my curse go away, I have to do this!'

Slowly, the orange-haired giant forced himself to stand up, leaning against the wall to brace himself. The irony of needing to kill someone to be rid of his desire to kill wasn't lost on him, but he would have to do it.

In a swift, but not too powerful, movement, Jugo smashed the palms of his hands in his face, waking him up again, removing the remains of tears from his cheeks and eyes. A second slap followed, and a third. The slaps weren't painful in any way, but they served to harden him, restore his focus and redirect his thoughts so he wouldn't dwell on what he had to do.

Opening the door, Jugo made his way to the arena and to his ultimate goal. Orochimaru's instructions had been clear, and this match was his only chance to do it.

In order to be rid of his madness, his insane desire to kill, Jugo had to kill Uzumaki Naruto in full view of the Hokage herself.

XxX

Down below, in the arena, a door opened to reveal the huge frame of Jugo, walking through the still-wet ground to the centre of the ring, where Kin was already waiting.

"Well, that's my cue." Naruto said as he jumped off the railing and towards the meeting point. As soon as he was spotted, a large round of cheers erupted from the audience, causing Naruto to wave his arms cheerfully. He was still well-loved by the crowd.

Kin waited patiently for Naruto to arrive, keeping her single eye on Jugo. As soon as both fighters confirmed they were ready, she allowed them to begin and disappeared from the arena.

Unlike the previous matches, nothing happened. Neither combatant moved, instead staring each other down.

"You know," Naruto started, his hands still at his side in case he needed to act, "I'm wondering why you aren't asking me to surrender before you end up hurting me. Is it just something about you not wanting to hurt girls, or do I just get special treatment?"

"My apologies, Naruto-san." The orange-haired man replied, his face still looking a bit sad. "But I cannot ask you to surrender. Though I doubt you would accept the offer even if I would give it, I have been ordered to fight and kill you. I'm truly sorry, but I have no other alternative."

Crouching down, Jugo shot himself forward before Naruto had time to get ready for it; the blond could barely dodge the first attack, quickly jumping back to gain some breathing space. Unfortunately, his opponent was right behind him, gaining on the blond as he ran.

Turning around on the spot, Naruto ducked his head to evade Jugo's fist, raised his left arm to lift the giant off the ground. Jugo proved far more stable than he looked, not to mention quicker, because he prevented Naruto from lifting him and continued his assault.

Throwing one punch after another, Jugo kept up the offensive, as Naruto backed away continuously. Ducking, weaving, jumping and rolling, the blond did everything he could to avoid being hit.

Meanwhile, Naruto's thoughts were racing as he desperately tried to evade the attacks.

'Damn this guy is fast! His attacks are shabby as hell and he leaves openings all over the place, but he's cornering me on sheer speed alone. And this is not even with his curse seal active. But worst of all, if I attack him, chances are he'll go berserk on me. In both of his previous matches, as well as what Hanabi and Konohamaru could tell me from the fight in the steam-filled cave, he loses control every time he's hurt. That means I can only hit him once and it has to be a sure-kill.'

Suddenly the assault stopped. Jumping back and flipping in the air, Naruto looked at his opponent, as Jugo stood at his impressive full length.

"Why are you not fighting back?" He asked, looking Naruto in the eye. "I have just said I would kill you, yet you do nothing to fight back, only defend yourself."

"Yeah I know. But I can't attack you unless I'm absolutely sure it'll kill you, since I don't want you to go crazy on me."

"I see." Was all Jugo said, beginning to focus a bit more. A second later, the familiar sight of red, burning marks spread across Jugo's arms as he threw them forward, transforming both of his arms into dragon-like claws, complete with scales.

Naruto, not prepared for a mid-range assault like that, got hit by both claws, each grabbing him by the arm and lifting him up before slamming him down on the ground. Jugo pulled his arms up again, trying to slam the black-clad ninja to the ground again, but suddenly orange, ethereal flames burst from Naruto's body, shocking the mutant enough to draw back his arms.

Flipping in the air to land on his feet, Uzumaki Naruto stood as tall as he could, orange flames formed around him. The only sign of any injury from Jugo's attack was a small drop of blood on Naruto's chin, but even that was quickly evaporating.

Naruto simply stood still, letting the boost from Kyuubi's chakra heal the bruises on his back.

'Damn, that hurt.' He admitted in the confines of his mind, where no-one would ever know. 'And that's when he's still his usual self, his insane version would no-doubt have been a hell of a lot harsher.'

For once, Naruto's opponent was holding back not out of arrogance or something else, but simply because he was too gentle; in his reluctance to harm and kill, Juugo was holding back his power and fighting much nicer then he needed. Perhaps it was subconsciously, but he was holding back all the same.

Unfortunately, Jugo realized the same thing. While Jugo held the advantage in strength, speed and mass, the difference between the two wasn't enough to grant him an overwhelming advantage. There was only one way to continue on now.

Relaxing his stance, lowering his now-normal arms at his side, Jugo closed his eyes and concentrated. All he had to was relax his mind, stop his constant mental defense against that part of himself, and it would be done. He would willingly surrender to his curse.

The effect was instantaneous; Jugo's expression changed, his eyes wide and unstable, the burning marks of the Curse Seal spread over his body, turning half of his face grey, his eyes black and lengthening his nails.

"KIYAHAHA, TIME TO KILL!" Jugo shouted with glee, turning his attention to Naruto. A second later, he was in the flame-covered blonde's face, punching him away. Before Naruto could recover, Jugo was running past him, kicking him in the side.

Tired of being used as a pinball, Naruto forced more of the Kyuubi's chakra out, interrupting Jugo from continuing his attack further. Landing on his back, Naruto quickly flipped himself over and jump backward, barely evading Jugo's axe-kick. The force behind the kick was enough to send a huge splash of mud flying, which stopped the berserker's assault for a moment.

"Damn, that guy got even faster then I would've thought." Naruto realized, drawing out more of the Kyuubi's chakra. The flame around him died down as his very body began to change. His hair became a bit more wild, his eyes gained fox-like slits and his nails grew a bit.

The mud had all fallen down and Jugo had quickly found his prey again. Using the same move as moments before his berserking, Jugo stretched his left arm out to catch the Konoha ninja. This time, however, Naruto managed to surprise Jugo with his speed; dashing forward underneath the transforming appendage, Naruto closed in on Jugo and smashed his right fist in the large man's stomach. Doubling over and letting out a gasp of pain as the air was forced from his lungs, Jugo was send flying back into a wall.

Quickly assuming his stance, right arm in front and tucked in his side, left arm out behind him, Naruto waited for Jugo to get ready. Looking at his opponent, Naruto was surprised to see Jugo standing almost completely unharmed. The only thing showing he had just been hit were a few drops of saliva that were still on his chin, but the madman ignored it as he charged at Naruto again.

Using the boost in speed provided by Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto dashed to the side, evading the reckless charge, and attacked Jugo in the side. It hit it's mark, but so did Jugo's wild counterattack, smashing his elbow directly in Naruto's face. As Naruto was pushed back by pain and shock alike, Jugo grabbed his left arm and spun him around, throwing him at the wall to return the favor.

Transforming his arm into a piston again, Jugo immediately charged forward, ready to crush the annoying blond into the wall. The piston- punch hit as soon as Jugo was close enough, but nothing happened.

Naruto had raised his right hand and appeared to have caught the piston-punch with his bare hand. Nothing had happened, almost like the punch had no power behind it at all. Pulling back his arm, Jugo lashed out with his other arm, transforming that into a giant axe-blade and slashing at Naruto.

Again, the blond raised his right arm and deflected the blow. Transforming both his arms into blades, Jugo kept up a rain of slashes, but every slash was met with Naruto's right arm and was pushed aside effortlessly. In fact, they attacks stopped half an inch front Naruto's arm, as if they had reached some invisible barrier. This realization made even the crazed killer take a small step back, wondering what was going on.

That step backward was all Naruto needed; crossing his arms in front of his chest, he let out a loud roar as he released even more of the Kyuubi's chakra, the chakra forming a very detailed picture of the Kyuubi for a second before completing Naruto's transformation. The force of the chakra burst wasn't enough to send Jugo backward, but he almost fell over before managing to brace himself.

Naruto made a quick tossing motion with his arms, uncrossing them in the process, before closing in on Jugo. Suddenly a multitude of small, shallow cuts appeared along Jugo's arms, chest and even on in his neck. More out of surprise then anything else, Jugo dropped his guard at the sudden injuries and Naruto made good use of it; with the running dash and boost provided by Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto made a huge swing with his right fist and nailed the Sound's fighter straight in the face.

XxX

"There's no way…" Neji breathed out in shock as he saw Naruto's defense through his Byqakugan. Next to him, Hinata looked equally surprised.

"What the…" Ino stood up as she yelled in surprise. "How is Naruto blocking that? That guy crushed an entire section of the wall in his last match with that punch!"

"Kiba." Shino merely said, looking at his best friend next to him.

"Yeah, I recognize it, thought it's different from normal." Kiba confirmed, earning confused looks of Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji and Konohamaru. Even Hanabi seemed to recognize it.

"The Heavenly Spin." Lee concluded. "The secret technique of ultimate defense used by the Hyuuga. But Naruto-kun has a much more simplified version of it, for the attacks to only block with his arm."

"Correct." Jiraiya said, impressed that they had immediately guessed it. Then again, the ones who had recognized the technique were all on squads with a Hyuuga.

"So, what's going on?" Ino asked, beginning to get annoyed by being let out of the loop.

"Naruto-kun is using a variation of the Hyuuga's secret defensive technique, the Eight Trigrams Palm Heavenly Spin, but it's located only on his right arm." Hinata quickly supplied. "In fact, for the entire fight, he has had a significant amount of chakra spinning around his right arm, forming an invisible tornado around it."

"And apparently, that tornado was strong enough to defend against those attacks. The similarity to the Heavenly Spin is extreme." Neji finished.

"Well, he did base it off of the Heavenly Spin you used against him, Neji." Jiriaiya said. "When fighting against you and subsequently learning the Rasengan, Naruto learned that chakra in it's raw state is still very powerful. Combining the defensive ability of the Heavenly Spin with the first stage of training for the Rasengan, Naruto managed to create a unique defense. Using the additional chakra points he gained in his right arm after it recovered, he sends out a constant stream of chakra, forming a protective whirlwind of chakra, which can block almost any physical attack. The rotation of the chakra absorbs and redirects any force that comes into contact with it, so it can't be broken by keeping up the pressure either."

Grinning, the toad sage lifted his hand with two fingers raised.

"There are only two known ways to bypass it; the first is an attack with enough initial force to overpower the whirlwind, but only the strongest of techniques have that much punching power, and the second is to strike with a pin-point attack at the Eye of the Storm, the very centre of rotation that's located in Naruto's hand. Unfortunately, since it's only his right arm, he can only block an attack that his arm can reach, so it's not an ultimate defense, but it's still highly useful. This is the third of Naruto's four main techniques and his main defense; the Storm Shield."

"But how did he make that other guy bleed?" Konohamaru suddenly asked, also standing near the railing to watch the fight. "He didn't throw any shuriken or anything of the sort, he told me he doesn't have them anymore."

"And he doesn't." Jiraiya confirmed. "However, what he just used was his alternative to kunai and shuriken, the very reason he doesn't need to carry them anymore; a wind chakra shuriken, another alternative of the first stage of training for the Rasengan. By creating a thin disc of chakra, Naruto alters the shape of his chakra to become a circular-saw-like shuriken without mass. Useful for a lot of things, especially when your opponent isn't suspecting discs of chakra he can hardly see. Unfortunately, they only have a fifteen meter effective range, any further and the chakra becomes to unstable to use. It's one of two supportive techniques he uses, not one of the main forms."

"So, if that's the third technique, what're the other three?" Sakura asked, getting interested. She had known that Naruto had improved his fighting, but she didn't know exactly much he'd improved.

"The first two should be obvious; the Fox Fist is the first technique, representing power. The Rasengan is the second technique, representing variation or flexibility. It's the basis of his other techniques and has more forms then any other attack he has. The third technique is the Storm Shield, representing defense. Wait and see if he uses the fourth technique, I can't tell you about it right now." The Toad Sage explained, his eyes shooting to three specific parts of the stands. Even if the villages were friendly right now, joined in combat by having a common foe, there were still spies all over the place.

And if the toad sage wasn't mistaking, that elderly couple on the other side of the arena, with the husband obviously enjoying the brutality of the matches and the wife often smacking him up the head, were two Akatsuki agents. The bait had worked and the trap was set.

XxX

Now standing halfway across the arena because of Naruto's punch, Jugo looked over the injuries he suddenly had. Several shallow cuts along his arms, a few cuts in his chest, one in his neck and a damn painful face, probably a broken nose based on the amount of blood pooling at his feet. It all served to make Jugo even more pissed then he already was.

"Damn you, that hurts!" The mad giant shouted, eyes locked on Naruto's form. "I'm going to tear you to shreds, turn you inside out, lob off your limbs and then I'll kill you! I'll make you suffer and cry for this!"

"Try it." Naruto's simple reply seemed to piss the berserker off even further.

Swinging his hands forward, Jugo transformed his hands into long, wicked claws again, they shot out twice as fast as before. But Naruto, now using the maximum amount of Kyuubi's chakra he could use without growing tails and losing control, was also much faster then before. He dashed forward, moving straight past the two arms, to close up on Jugo again.

As he tried to punch Jugo again, however, Jugo was more then ready for Naruto's low charge and kneed him straight in the face. Reeling back in pain as blood shot from his shattered nose, Naruto bend over backwards so much he could see the claws approaching him from behind. He did the only thing he could to evade them; he jumped as high as he could, swinging his hands wildly to throw more winds shuriken all the while.

The new barrage of wind shuriken created a series of new shallow cuts along Jugo's skin, causing him to let out an almost feral roar of hatred while Naruto floated up in the sky. Already the blonde's nose was healing, the only mark of it having been shattered was the blood that still covered the lower half of his face and some of his clothes.

Jugo transformed again, this time growing a strange jet-like appendage as if it was an extension of his tailbone. A second later streams of chakra erupted from the various openings, shooting Jugo into the sky with unmatched speed.

Unable to maneuver himself away from Jugo in mid-air, Naruto suffered a direct hit as Jugo charged headfirst into him, smashing him into a wall again. Jugo landed on the ground, a small distance away from Naruto, when suddenly five Naruto's dashed forward, surrounding their opponent.

Jugo's confusion about the sudden number of enemies was enough for the five Naruto's as they charged in. The first made a straight line for Jugo's head, reading to bash it in, but suddenly stopped and jumped up as soon as Jugo tried to attack. It was a feint.

Instead, another of the clones closed in on Jugo's now open side and smashed it's left fist straight into Jugo's liver, causing the berserker to howl with pain. Two others stepped in and punched Jugo in the jaw with enough force to flip him over in mid-air, before the final two clones nailed him in the back and smashed him into the same wall that they had just dashed from.

Hanging upside down in the wall, Jugo was momentarily unable to move while the five Naruto's moved through the exact same seals.

"Hair Needle Barrage!" all five said simultaneously.

All five clones threw their head forward, revealing their scalp to their opponent, and an instant later a horizontal rain of needles burst forth from their heads. The needles, which were actually hardened hairs, stabbed into everything in front of them, covering Jugo in small needles that prevented him from moving. Well over two-hundred of the needles had been stabbed into his body, the only thing preventing his internal organs from being skewered was the fact that the transformation had toughened his torso and face, preventing the needles from penetrating there. His arms and legs were not so lucky, holding him pinned to the wall while they burned with pain.

The central Naruto, the real one, raised his right hand at his side and formed a Rasengan, turning it bright red because of the usage of Kyuubi's chakra in it's creation. Using the Fox's chakra made the S-rank attack even more powerful, but also slightly unstable. Wisps of the evil chakra flew from the orb, licking the clones and Jugo alike. One of the tendrils even lingered on Jugo for a second, as if to cares him.

Oddly enough, the momentary contact with a chakra even more evil then his own, seemed to restore Jugo to his previous state. The curse seal withdrew, the mad look disappeared from his eyes and he suddenly didn't reveal massive amounts of killing intend. Though that did surprise Naruto, the biggest surprise was something else entirely; the look of relief on Jugo's face as he saw Naruto holding the Rasengan, ready to strike.

"What is wrong with you?" The question had left Naruto's lips before he could help it. "Why do you look relieved when you see this technique, a technique that will kill you?"

"Don't stop!" Jugo suddenly pleaded. "Please, whatever you do, don't stop! Kill me, kill me now! One of us must die by the end of this match, or I'll never be able to stop my urges to kill everyone around me. Kill me now, stop my urges… please… I beg of you… kill me."

Knowing what Jugo meant, Naruto closed his eyes for a second, steeling himself for what he was about to do.

"I will follow your final wish." He finally said, following the ritual he had been taught on the Eastern Continent when someone requested an honorable death. It was a concept foreign to ninja's, but then, Naruto's opponent wasn't a ninja. "May your soul find peace in the afterlife, where it will forever remain with the honor it is worthy."

The ritual he had been taught completed, showing respect to an enemy, Naruto drew back his arm to strike the final blow.

XxX

There was no disguising the interest all the kages had in this match; each and every single one of the village leaders say at attention, carefully observing any and all movements made. It was not surprising, considering who was down there. One was the container of one of the strongest known demons and an apprentice of a legendary ninja, the other a mutant with unheard of abilities. Possibly even a new bloodline, still rough in it's foundations.

Even Orochimaru was very impressed with the fight. Jugo was performing better then he had expected, showing that when he willingly surrendered to his homicidal side he was even stronger them when it was forced to the surface, but it was Naruto that really caused the Snake Sage's concern.

So far, the blond had surpassed every expectation that Orochimaru had had for his growth. Jiraiya had proven to be a far more effective teacher then Orochimaru had feared. Combined with his ability to control the Kyuubi, the boy could soon prove to become a danger.

Looking around, Orochimaru saw Kabuto and Suigetsu, who's injuries had apparently healed because he was sitting upright, focused on the fight, sitting on a rooftop just above the crowd. The medic immediately realized what his master wanted and, with a nod, Orochimaru gave the order.

Without standing up, which would draw the attention of the kages for sure, Kabuto quickly made three seals, finishing with his thumbs and fingers in a triangle, pointed directly towards Jugo. A whispered word of 'release' later it was done; Jugo had been freed from his genjutsu, so his full power could be used.

The effect was instantaneous.

Before Naruto was even halfway swinging his Rasengan, dark chakra suddenly erupted from Jugo as he let out a mingled cry of horror, rage, resentment and excitement. The chakra was blowing with enough force to flip over two of the shadow clones and immediately dispel the others. Only the real Naruto, holding the Rasengan, remained.

Before the storm of chakra could die down, Naruto forced his hand forward, pushing the Rasengan against the insubstantial but powerful pressure of the dark chakra as it escaped Jugo's body. It made contact as soon as the chakra storm died down, releasing the pressure and making the ball of rotating chakra shoot forward.

It hid the now transformed Jugo straight in the chest, spinning him around and forcing him deeper into the wall, but it didn't tear him apart as it should have. Naruto could only look surprised by the lack of effect his attack had, while two monster-like claws grabbed his shoulders, holding him in place.

Up in the box, Orochimaru couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face as a multitude of speaker-like openings grew all around Jugo. In the instant before a huge flare of chakra covered the arena, it was obvious for all to see.

Jugo had fully transformed into his Curse Seal state, the true and original level 2.

A form that no-one save Orochimaru and Kabuto had ever fought and survived against.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

unfortunately, this chapter wasn't beta'd because Kushin is too busy with exams right now. any all mistakes still left are mine. The first part of Naruto VS Jugo, which I must say I have been looking forward to for quite some time. The next chapter will have the second and final part.

As always, reviews are welcome.


	42. Chapter 42

Disclaimer: don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

The huge flare of chakra that Jugo shot forward shot right through the arena until it reached just past the centre of the battleground, well over twenty meters away from it's origin, and lasted for a full five seconds.

Yet to the thirteen gathered Konoha Shinobi in the audience, it were some of the longest seconds in their life. With the exception of Jiraiya, Kiba and the three Hyuuga's present, all of the shinobi's rushed forward, leaning as far into the iron fence as they could, while trying to catch a glimpse of Naruto.

When the flare finally died down, allowing them to see. Naruto stood at no less then three meters away from Jugo, covered in an eerie-looking glow of fox-shaped chakra, two tails made of red chakra clearly showing. Up in the stands, Jiraiya gulped as he realized what was going on.

"Kyuubi's Cloak, and he's already at the second tail…" He mumbled, as much to himself as to explain to the others what was happening. Then he suddenly reached into his shirt and pulled out a bunch of papers, which he immediately started handing out to everyone but Konohamaru and Hanabi. "Here, take these suppression seals, if this goes on much longer we'll have a major problem on our hands."

"Wah? Hey geezer, what's up with these." Kiba questioned, although he still readied his demon-wolf coat, preparing to fight. Kiba knew better then to question the word of Sannin.

"Naruto's using too much of the Kyuubi's power, any more and he'll lose control over himself."

"B-but, I thought that Naruto-kun was in complete control over the K-Kyuubi?" Hinata muttered, her old stutter returning at the thought of the Kyuubi.

"Normally he is, but if he uses too much of it's chakra, it starts to affect him badly. Remember that fight with Gaara, the one that you guys all saw in the arena?" Jiraiya quickly explained, knowing they'd have to understand what they were about to do. "Remember how he wasn't fighting like himself, and that he'd lost his memories of that fight afterwards?"

They all nodded, remembering how surprised they were.

"That's because the Kyuubi's chakra influences him. The fox can't take full control, but the chakra reduces his brain to a more primal state, removing conscious thought. Over the years, Naruto's control significantly improved, he can use his no-tails form without drawbacks, and up until three tails he remains in control. If he uses any more chakra, his personality is no longer dominant, turning him into a wild beast that attacks anyone and anything near him. And with the power of the Kyuubi, that is not something you want to happen."

He purposely rubbed the scar on his chest to indicate that he himself hadn't escaped unharmed. That certainly installed them with enough fear to take it completely serious.

"So, we have to act if Naruto grows two more tails?" Ino asked, looking alert but scared. "But with the Kyuubi's power, he should be able to easily take this guy right? Maybe we won't have to do anything anymore."

"I wish it was that simple girl." Jiraiya now turned around, focusing on the fight again. "But after he uses Kyuubi's Cloak, Naruto's body makes it impossible to use seals, making it impossible to use any Ninjutsu save the Rasengan and Fox Fist. Not only that, but after he grows the first tail, his fighting and behavior is affected, making him less a sane fighter and more a wild animal. He doesn't lose control until four tails, but he is affected after only one tail. But the worst part is… the Kyuubi's chakra always calls out for more, it works as it's own catalyst. The longer he uses the chakra, or the more hits he takes, the quicker he'll pull out additional tail's."

"So, then, Jiraiya-sama, what should we do if this fight continues on much longer?" Lee asked. "Do we all rush in and try to attach the seal?" Lee suggested, bending down to remove his weights. He would have to use his full power to face Naruto if he was using the Fox's power.

"No." The Toad Sage immediately shot Lee's suggestion down. "I'll go in there and try to place the seal. The rest of you are to serve as my backup, should that happen. He can blow you away with one wave of his chakra, you wouldn't stand a chance. Make sure to not engage him in combat, with the Kyuubi's power he'll crush you before you even realize it. and the objective will be simple; attach the seal to any part of Naruto's body. It'll activate immediately and reduce Kyuubi's chakra at once."

XxX

Down in the arena, an almost feral Naruto threw his hands towards his opponent, red chakra claws shooting forward towards Jugo, ready to tear him to bits. The mutant simply shot forth another blast of chakra from the boosters that were still present, disrupting the red chakra with his purple, before he transformed his form again.

The speaker-like appendages he'd used to shoot the flare of chakra disappeared, instead Jugo's body regrew the booster he'd used to maneuver in mid-air, and immediately shot forward, moving towards Naruto faster then anyone could run. Reacting so fast it wasn't humanly possible, Naruto moved to the side and hacked at Jugo as he passed by. The physical claws didn't so much as scratch Jugo's tough armor-like skin, but the accompanying chakra-claw did make it's mark as Jugo's blood was drawn.

Flipping over to stop and change direction, Jugo simply ignored his bleeding arm and still succeeded in slamming into Naruto. Turning his booster to maximum, the Sound's Berserker managed to force Naruto back and ruin his footing. The imbalance that followed was the perfect opportunity for Jugo; with both hands, rapidly transforming as he attacked, he unleashed a ruthless barrage of attacks.

One second Jugo's right arm was a giant axe blade, the next it had become a piston, while his left could transform from the tip of a spear, into a dangerous-looking claw with five sharp points. Without pause, Jugo kept the assault of attacks up, occasionally a burst of the purple chakra followed, indicating a particularly strong attack.

Despite it's strong defensive abilities, even the Cloak had difficulty keeping up against the continuous assault; each attack bit deeper and deeper into the solid mass of red chakra, until at last one of Jugo's axe-slashed penetrated the defense and cut into the soft flesh of Naruto's belly. The robe the Hyuuga had given Naruto was worth very little as battle armor, being reserved for other unpleasantness. Blood as red as the demon fox's chakra shot forth as Naruto let out an animalistic roar of pain.

But the sudden rain of blood proved a strange blessing; the fluid of life shot out with such force that it even hit Jugo, covering his entire face. At once the large man's movements fell quiet, his hands returning to normal as he pulled them back and almost scratched at his eyes.

"AARGH, NO, NO, NO! KILL, I'VE GOT TO KILL! YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

"GWAAARGH!" Naruto roared in return, the injury on his stomach burning hot for a second before the cut quickly closed itself, the only remains of the injury the blood still around it. A third tail sprouted from Naruto's back as he transformed further. His hair was now beginning to get shades of red in it, his whiskers took up more then half his cheeks and his stance was more fox-like then ever. While Jugo was still trying to uncover his eyes, Naruto pulled his fist back and attacked.

The punch hit Jugo's face dead on, but again his physical hit didn't inflict damage, only sending the orange-haired man flying backwards. The chakra that had accompanied the strike cut into Jugo's face. At once Naruto was on pursuit, ready to pounce on his prey.

Unfortunately for Naruto, Jugo had regained his sight before the blond demon-carrier could followed up and when Naruto attacked, Jugo grabbed his wrist. Ignoring the burns from coming into contact with such powerful, almost evil, chakra, Jugo spun Naruto around and slammed him into the ground. The instant Naruto landed, Jugo's other hand transformed into the super-piston form and slammed into Naruto's stomach.

Kyuubi's Cloak or not, the resulting blast of chakra hit with such force that Naruto was completely devoured as he was shot underground.

XxX

'Even Jiraiya is on edge by what's going on down there.' Tsunade noticed as she observed her old teammate down in the stands. His entire posture was tensed a bit, but not enough to alert anyone who didn't know him, and a few minutes ago he had been handing out seals to the other ninja he was standing with. She still remembered the report Jiraiya had given concerning Naruto and his usage of the Kyuubi's chakra.

If he grew one more tail, he'd go on a rampage bad enough to seriously injure even Jiraiya. Granted, the Toad Hermit hadn't been trying to kill his student, but even so… injuring that old pervert was no small task.

But unfortunately, Tsunade couldn't even think about a plan to assist Jiraiya, should everything go bad. Her attention was currently on one thing only; Orochimaru, who had for the first time since arriving shut up and looked serious when he observed the fight. He wasn't the only one, however. All the kages and their assistants paid close attention to the fight, clearly surprised by the intensity of the fight. Not to mention the savagery.

There was, however, one thing that Tsunade spotted that amused her somewhat. Some distance away, sitting atop a roof above the crowds, the two other Sound shinobi were watching. Kabuto was clearly amazed at what was going on, while Suigetsu was intensely focused, no doubt trying to gain as much information from this fight as he could.

Not that Tsunade could blame him. After all, he'd have to face one of those two – for lack of a better word – monstrous fighters in the next round.

XxX

Cracking all over, the ground of the arena gave a loud groan before it was forced to break by the numerous tendrils of chakra that shot up from the earth. With a sudden explosion, caused by a humongous, fox-shaped form of chakra, the earth was blasted aside, revealing Naruto. The chakra around him was more intense then ever before, bits and pieces of his skin seemingly burned off by it's power, while his fangs were sharper then ever and his nose had even changed a bit, starting to resemble that of a fox.

He was so close to drawing out a fourth tail, but something in his subconscious barely managed to prevent that. Instead, the Kyuubi-influenced mind of the teenager decided to take it's energy out on the next best thing; Jugo.

He was upon him in an instant, claws and feet flying, chakra shooting forth again and again to inflict deep gashed all over Jugo's body. But not once did the Sound's Berserker try to evade or block an attack. Instead, he tried to return each attack that Naruto launched, striking at the same time, often exchanging hits with the fox-like teen. Fortunately for Naruto, the hits were not strong enough to break through the Cloak, stopping any damage on his body. On Naruto's sixth run past, it suddenly became apparent that Jugo hadn't simply been wasting time with exchanging hits.

As the blond attacked, Jugo reached out and grabbed Naruto's wrists once again, still ignoring the now smoking burns on his hands. Before Naruto could react, Jugo transformed his leg. The same appendages that he used on his arms for his Super Piston Punch appeared below his leg, small bursts of chakra leaking out already. Then, with the sound and quickness of a strike of thunder, Jugo kicked Naruto hard enough to send him into the air.

Almost at once Naruto spread out his chakra-limbs to try and gain stable footing, but Jugo was upon him at once, again striking with one transformation after another. Slash and bash, cut and stab, each followed in rapid succession. Then finally, Jugo drew back both his hands, kneed Naruto in the chin to open up his chest, and transformed once again.

His hands seemed to blend together, forming a double version of the Super Piston Punch, before Jugo struck Naruto straight in the chest. Two identical flares of purple chakra shot from the appendages Jugo had now grown, as Naruto was launched into the stands with extreme force.

XxX

'Now's my chance!' Jiraiya immediately realized as Naruto was crashed into the crowd. The only downside, was that Naruto was on the other end of the stadium, making it a possibility that he could go on a rampage before the toad sage could reach him.

Moving as fast as he could, Suppression Seal at the ready, Jiraiya luckily reached the very deep dent Naruto had created before the blond could stand up. And instant later, he had run used his ninja arts to attach the suppression seal without being noticed. At once the red chakra flow was disrupted, the remains of the evil chakra still visible in the air.

While the chakra was dispelled instantly, it took Naruto a few seconds to regains his bearings and climb out of the hole. As soon as he was out of the hole, he saw Jiraiya standing just to the side, a well-known piece of paper in his hand. Naruto opened his mouth to ask something, but before he had a chance a large claw suddenly grabbed him and pulled. The next thing Naruto knew, he was becoming fast familiar with the inside of a pillar, before Jugo pulled him out and slammed him into another. A cry of pain escaped the Konoha Shinobi's mouth, but Jugo ignored it and slammed him once again.

After smashing him into five pillars, Jugo apparently became bored with the little game and retracted his claw, returning Naruto to the arena's ground with another slam. With obvious difficulty, Naruto managed to raise himself up by his arms, but before he got up more then a few inches, he suddenly started spitting and puking blood.

'This isn't good!' Naruto immediately realized. 'All those slams and stuff must have given me some serious internal bleedings.' Another bout of blood came out with the realization, as if to prove his point. But that wasn't the end of his problems; since Jiraiya had just used a Supression Seal on him, the Kyuubi's chakra was temporarily blocked out of his system, stopping it's quick healing. Aside from that, he could feel the strain his chakra coils were suffering after his near-transformation.

'Damnit, I need a plan to beat this guy.' Naruto mentally cursed, as Jugo simply stood there, looking at Naruto coughing up blood. A second later, Jugo burst out laughing, a deranged, insane, maniacal laugh.

"KIYAHAHA, I'M GONNA KILL YOU SLOWLY, KIYAHAHA. OH SO… SLOWLY! KNOW PAIN!"

"Damn, think Naruto, think!' It took more then he cared to admit just to push his body up, his chest burning in pain with the pressure to prevent him from landing in a pool of his own blood and puke. 'I obviously couldn't keep up with him, even when I was using a shitload of Kyuubi's chakra, so that's a no-go. But what more can I do? Even my strongest punches hardly affected him, it's almost like he's immune to physical attacks.'

Jugo, now finished with laughing, transformed his arms to both become axes. He took one slow step forward, then another, clearly savoring this moment before the kill.

Suddenly Naruto remembered what had happened, in two occasions, to give him a clear advantage; when mud was sent flying around Jugo and when blood had gotten into his eyes, he'd been helpless.

'He couldn't do anything when I blinded him! He's not a ninja, he can't fight without his eyes.' Now sitting on his knees, Naruto looked up as Jugo stepped closer again. In one fluid and unexpected motion, Naruto grabbed two hands full of the blood he'd puked up, taking the sand and mud below it in his hands as well, and threw it straight into Jugo's face.

The effect was immediate; the blood, spit, puke, sand and mud all mixed togheter into a much nastier mix then the blood alone had been, effectively blinding the killer. The throw had been so unexpected that Jugo even lost his balance and fell over, giving Naruto plenty of time for his next step.

Quickly wiping his hands on his clothing to clean them, Naruto bit both his thumbs – flinching when he felt a wave of pain rush over him – and quickly made a series of five seals before placing both his hands on the ground, palm-down.

"Ninja style: Summoning technique!"

Lines shot forth from the location Naruto had placed his hands, quickly forming two overlapping circles that exploded in unnatural smoke, which disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Four larger-then-life toads stoop around Naruto, all four of different sizes and colors, and all four armed.

Gamatotsu was the smallest one and yellow-skinned, wielding two spiked maces. Next to him stood Gamamenki, the second-smallest. His skin was dark-green and he didn't seem to hold any weapons, but as soon as he opened his mouth a metal contraption with spikes was visible on his tongue. Gamakichi was the second-largest, with his deep orange skin and a double-bladed axe held in each hand. Gamasetsu was the largest of the four, standing behind Naruto and towering over Gamakichi with his two swords at the ready. A twist of his wrists and the blades fell apart, revealing them to be snakeswords.

"Nice to see you again, Naru." Gamasetsu rumbled, raising himself from his crouch to check the surroundings. "So what kinda trouble 're ya in now?"

"See that guy?" Naruto pointed at Jugo, "I need you to keep him of off me for a few minutes while I prepare a killer hit. Be carefull, 'cause he's really strong."

"Off course he is, bro." Gamatotsu squeaked, his voice still soft and somewhat goofy.

"He only calls us in times of trouble, doesn't he?" Gamakichi gave the toad equivalent of a grin, a mirror of his father's, and jumped forward. The blades of Gamasetsu's snake swords were flying past his sides, giving him a certain opening.

Jugo felt the two bladed chains wrap around his arms, followed quickly by a powerful frontal assault by the two axes Gamakichi wielded, but neither did any damage to his toughened skin.

Not able to see his enemies, he simply grew chakra-blasters from his stomach-area and covered the entire area in blasts of purple chakra. The blasts, unfocused as they were, weren't strong enough to seriously hurt the eldest son of Gamabunta, but he was blown away.

While Gamakichi was blown back, Naruto moved through the seals and finished making a Shadow Clone. At once the clone held both hands over Naruto's right hand, just like Naruto held his own left over it. almost at once a small orb of chakra appeared, spinning slowly. Naruto still needed some more time to finish this variation of the Rasengan.

Gamatesu rushed to the side to buy that needed time, blindsiding Jugo and smashing one of his maces into Jugo's back. Several of the spikes broke, but nevertheless Jugo was misbalanced by the sudden force into his back. The tongue that suddenly shot forth and, also with spikes attached, smashed into his chest and ensured the mutant had no solid footing. Returning to the frey, Gamakichi appeared from the sky – having jumped up a considerable length due to being a toad – and smashed his two axes into Jugo.

Jugo had managed to transform his shoulders in time to also form axe blades, but the force of Gamakichi's attack was still enough to bring the mutant to his knees. As the blades on Gamakichi's axes crumbled, Gamasetsu's snakeswords quickly shot forward and bound up Jugo, while Gamamenki's tongue wrapped around Jugo's torso. The spikes attached to it seemed to irritate the large man a bit, but caused no permanent injury. More out of annoyance and frustration then actual pain, Jugo let out a roar.

Naruto and his clone were still standing still, focusing completely on the small white orb that was now floating between their hands. It kept spinning faster and faster, moving so fast it was almost impossible to notice the movements. Three small appendages had spouted from the yellow mass, the only thing that could be used to identify movement. A screech-like sound was produced, but even to Naruto's ears it was barely audible.

Without being able to see what was going on, Jugo grow even more of the chakra-blasters all over his body; at least thirty of the blasters appeared all over his chest, his arms opened up into twenty more blasters each, his legs become the framework for another fifteen blasters and even his ears transformed into two particularly large blasters. With a roar of anger, there was an explosion of the purple chakra, with Jugo at it's centre.

Caught up close to their target, Gamakichi and Gamatotsu were the first to feel the pain. Both brothers held their ground for a few moments, arms crossed, but were send flying backwards with bad burns all over their bodies. Gamamenki was next, standing just a bit further then the brothers. He also held his position for a second or so before being blasted into a wall as well.

Gamasetsu, being the largest and heaviest of the four toads as well as heaving the longest weapon, was the furthest back, standing before Naruto to protect him from the blast. With his bulk, he was able to take most of the blast before being turned over and almost landing on his summoner. Quickly pushing off with his arms, the large amphibian managed to summersault over the blond and his clone, just as the blast of chakra ended.

The four toads now removed from the battlefield, Naruto and Jugo stood facing each other in the centre of the arena, both looking worse for wear. Naruto and his clone looked identical; black robes torn by combat, blood covering most of their bodies. Although it wasn't visible to the rest, thanks to their clothes, both the real Naruto and the clone had markings of serious injuries on their back and chest.

Jugo was bleeding seriously from a multitude of cuts all over his body, most of them inflicted by Naruto when he had gone berserk mere minutes before. And there were the cuts that the Wind Shuriken had inflicted, along with more then a few bruises courtesy of the hard blows both Naruto and the Toad Quartet had rained down on him. In fact, Jugo's shoulders looked like they might be dislocated or even broken, but the orange-haired man didn't seem to affected by the pain, his eyes only looking more deranged then ever before, sweat covering his face from obvious exhaustion. Even the origin of the powerful Curse Seal had a limit to the amount of chakra he could use.

Suddenly the Shadow Clone disappeared, Naruto dispelling it to save chakra and get his full mobility; it was all going to come down to one exchange and both fighters knew it. on the other side of the arena, Jugo's arms started to glow angry red again as they tried to transform. Unlike before, when the transformations had been instantaneous, now Jugo had to completely focus on transforming his right arm alone. Finally the appendages grow out of Jugo's elbow again, ready to once again super-power his punch.

The screeching from the Rasengan in Naruto's hand was now loud enough to drown out any other sound, even causing some of the ninja's in the crowd to cover their sensitive ears. Both fighters crouched down, preparing to react quickly.

"DIE!" Jugo shouted, foam almost forming at his mouth, as he suddenly shot forward, chakra shooting from his transformed elbow to increase power. He was upon Naruto in the time of a breath, his fist shooting forward to crush the blond's skull once and for all.

But Jugo couldn't move any further while suspended in mid-air; four thick, wet, strong, red tongues had shot forward and wrapped around a limb each to hold the berserker in place. The strain was obvious, all four tongues shaking badly while the four frogs themselves also shook with effort as they tried to hold their victim in place.

Naruto, having waited for this opening, stepped forward and immediately brought his Rasengan into Jugo's stomach.

"Wind Element: Rasengan!" He shouted when his attack made contact, the white ball disrupted for a second before it disappeared. There were no other effects at all, only a slight breeze that seemed to pass through the arena, but Jugo immediately stopped struggling while his face was still a mask of madness and rage.

After what felt like an eternity of deafening silence after the ear-shattering screeching, but was in actuality no more then a second or two, Jugo suddenly exploded in a rain of blood, strips and pieces of flesh seemingly falling off his body, while complete parts of his limbs dropped to the floor at different paces then the main body.

With a look of madness still on his face, Jugo's body fell upon the arena floor into small pieces, landing in a pool of blood. His own, his enemy's and that of the four toad's tongues.

Silence still reigned in the arena as everyone was trying to understand what was going on. Feeling immense pain through the injuries on their tongue's, the toad's dispelled themselves while Kin reappeared in the completely ruined arena.

Naruto couldn't even hear the one-eyed woman announce him the winner when he crashed to the ground, unable to breath any longer through the intense pain in his chest, no longer able to struggle against the burning numbness of his arm, losing consciousness because of the extensive blood loss throughout the fight.

The second semi-final match had ended, with the loser dead on the ground, and the winner quickly dying.

* * *

a/n: unfortunately, this chapter is unbeta'd due to Kushin eX being a bit busy this week, so any mistakes are my miss.

I have to say, this was one of the more intense battles I've ever written, though it might be a bit confusing at times. I hope you enjoyed it, because I sure enjoyed writing it.

Next chapter will be a break in the action, but the finals will start pretty soon; Naruto VS Suigetsu.

As always, please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter.


	43. Chapter 43

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

For a few seconds the entire audience was quiet, stunned and flabbergasted by the events in the ring below; Jugo had been all but torn to itty-bitty-little-pieces, while Naruto was lying face-down in the dirt, a pool of blood quickly gathering around his body.

"What the hell was that!" Kiba shouted, breaking the others out of their trance.

"An assassination technique," Shino replied, even the stoic boy couldn't hide a look of surprise at what had happened.

"This is not good!" Sakura suddenly said, medical mode kicking in. "He's bleeding heavily, his chest isn't moving and I'm willing to bet he's got more then a few broken bones after that deathmatch. Ino, Hinata, Neji, you're coming with me down there to stop Naruto from dying."

Before the words had even left her mouth, all four shinobi were already jumping down, landing next to Naruto.

"B-but, Sakura-san, neither Neji-nii-san nor I can use medi-" Hinata started, before she was rudely interrupted by Sakura, who had barely heard her.

"Hinata, Neji, be our eyes. It'll save us the time of using a diagnostic technique. We'll get right to the healing."

"Understood," Neji immediately activated his Byakugan, Hinata only a fraction of a second behind. "I'll assist Ino-san; Hinata-sama, if you would be so kind to assist Sakura-san."

"Understood." The Heiress agreed, stepping right beside Sakura.

"What're we dealing with here Hinata?" Sakura quickly asked, quickly removing the sash around Naruto's middle and opening the haori, showing the many bruises and cuts all over his chest. The sight made Hinata blush for a second, while both Ino and Sakura were already in pure business-mode. Ino carefully, but quickly, removed Naruto's sensitive right arm from the sleeve, while Sakura observed Naruto's chest.

Hinata took a second to focus her thoughts, following the example of the other kunoichi and turned as business-like as she possibly could.

"I can see some minor skull fractions, most of the ribs are cracked, with four on the right-side and three on the left side completely broken. The seventh rib from the top down on the right side has also pierced the lung. Several arteries around the throat have also been cracked open, so there's blood flowing into the lungs, as well as out of the mouth. There is severe bruising all over the body. Adding to that, the left hand has several cracks running through the bones, so it's probably broken and the left shoulder is dislocated as well."

Fortunately for her, Hinata had long since learned that, in order to stay objective, it was sometimes best to another person as nothing more then an item, a tool to use or practice on, otherwise she would have surely started stuttering again at seeing her crush lying on the floor like that.

"His right arm is a situation all on it's own." Neji whispered to Ino, who was already moving over the appendage with hands glowing in green. "Aside from numerous cuts all over the arm, it looks like some of the bleeding is internal as well, and even his bones have suffered cuts. The Chakra Circulation System is also severely strained, but no threats of rupturing for now."

Neither of the two medics said anything, focussing all their efforts into keeping their friend alive. While they were busy, the large figure of Jiraiya suddenly appeared at their side. Not wasting any time, he crouched down and started explaining.

"The Suppression Seal completely shut down the connection between Naruto's Chakra system and the Kyuubi's, stopping all of the Kyuubi's chakra instantly. That means it's not around to help you heal him either. The seal's active for exactly ten minutes, which would be enough time for Naruto to calm down and not get lost to the Kyuubi's chakra. When the seal wears off, the Chakra will be coming back through his system, boosting his healing."

"SHINO!" Sakura yelled, only giving a brief nod to the legendary Sannin to acknowledge what he just told her. The black-haired Aburame was at her side an instant later.

"I heard." He simply said, before Sakura could start explaining. "There are six minutes, thirty-seven seconds and eighty-seven-hundreds of a second left before the Kyuubi's chakra returns to his system."

Thanks to the millions of bugs that were in his system at all times, Shino – and everyone else of the Aburame Clan – was able to keep extremely accurate times, up to a thousandth of a second if need be. It was part of what made them such excellent scouts.

"Ino, the critical time until the Kyuubi can start healing him on his own is seven minutes, keep it up!" Sakura said, her blond friend merely nodding once.

XxX

Just like everyone else in the arena, Kabuto and Suigetsu were stunned by the killing hit that Naruto had landed. For the entire length of the fight, Suigetsu had been very quiet; observing everything with the air of one studying like his life depended on it. In a matter of speaking, Kabuto realized, it actually did.

"You should be careful when you fight him Suigetsu-kun." Kabuto finally said. "This assassination technique looks like it could also be too much for you to handle. If you get hit by it, I'm fairly certain you'll also end up dead."

"Get back inside." Suigetsu ignored Kabuto's words of caution as he looked Naruto's friends rush in to heal him. "I want you to give me a quick check-up before I start doing my warm-up. I'll have to be ready in this next fight."

"Of course Suigetsu-kun, I'll be waiting inside." Kabuto gave his pleasant smile before disappearing through the door.

'_Naruto, you're strong. Much stronger then I would have thought you could be. But let's see just what you're capable of when you're facing me._'

Taking one last look at the mess that had been Jugo, Suigetsu quickly raised his right arm, giving a short salute to Jugo's memory.

XxX

Since yet another half-hour break had been called – this time with the very viable excuse of needing to clean the arena before the finals could commence – the Mizukage once again found herself sitting in a dark room, one aide at her side the other outside of the door. Sitting in a chair across from the leader of the Village of the Mist, was a newly-healed Izayoi. She still wore the same robes, which now sported several large holes and bloodstains. Aside from massive chakra-loss, those were now the only trophies of her fight with Suigetsu.

But what had surprised the Mizukage the most was Izayoi's face; in place of the usual mask of complete indifference, the demon carrying kunoichi's face was also in a mask of confusion as she tried to answer the question. This was the most expression that the spiky-haired woman had ever seen of the teenage girl.

"I do not know why I disobeyed your order Mizukage-sama." The girl finally said, her voice still had the same rigid tone. "I was preparing to kill the traitor Suigetsu, but before I could, something else stopped me and redirected my chakra. I… I do not know what happened, but something inside me prevented me from forfeiting my life to complete the mission."

'_Hesitation,_' The Mizukage noticed the slight slip-up. '_another first__._'

"Enough." She ordered; her voice harsh. "Get out of my sight. Stay in the arena until I give you leave to return to the village, but stay out of my sight."

Izayoi acknowledged the command with a nod before she quickly stood up and left the room. When the Jinchuuriki was gone, Takami Sessha placed her head on her fists, her mind racing.

'_What's going on with her?_' She wondered. '_Her teachers made sure that she would be more then willing to die for her village so what made her doubt? She's not been exposed to anyone long enough to have drastic changes on her personality. Wait… maybe it's the amount of other demons around. The Kyuubi and Niibi are also around; perhaps the demonic chakra that lies heavily in the air also affects the demon sealed in her?_'

For the most of the break, the Fifth Mizukage Takami Sessha stayed in that room, her mind racing to discover what was going on and – more importantly – how she could use it to the advantage of herself and the Hidden Mist.

XxX

Naruto felt incredibly uncomfortable, standing in nothing but his underwear, while Tsunade, Shizune, Ino and Sakura were all in the room. Despite the incredibly tempting outfits that both Sakura and Ino were wearing, Naruto managed to force his eyes to stay attached to the ceiling. It also helped that, while all four women were standing very close, they radiated everything but sexual tension.

'_I'm almost starting to feel like I'm a chair or something._' Naruto thought to himself. The thought made him grin and relax a bit. His black robes, all the damages, dirt and blood still on them, were folded on a chair in the corner while the four medics fussed over the blond and he longed to put them back on; not only did the robes protect his modesty, they also kept him in a very comfortable temperature – something he hadn't noticed until he had to take them off and stand almost-naked in a cold room – but most importantly, they stopped others from seeing his arms and the difference between them.

Since his right arm was so much more advanced, courtesy of nearly blowing it to bits almost four years ago, Naruto had been forced to quadruple the trainings on his left arm to come close to reaching the abilities of his right. As a result, the muscles on Naruto's left arm were much larger and more developed then the ones on his right, making a very strange picture. That, combined with his still-present baby-fat made the teen very self-conscious about his appearance.

"Well Naruto, it looks like everything's pretty much recovered for now." Tsunade diagnosed as the four medics stepped back. With a point of her finger, she indicated Naruto could get dressed again, while she continued.

"However, your chakra circulation system is still very strained, so be careful in your usage of the Kyuubi's chakra for now. Aside from that, I must admit I'm surprised you even survived your own attack! That wind elemental Rasengan you pulled nearly cut your own arm into ribbons, don't use it again!"

"There's a reason it's a last resort Granny." Naruto said back. "Ero-Sennin and I discovered just how dangerous it was to me when I first used it. It took me almost two months before I could properly move my hand again."

"Well, now Ino and Shizune were present to help restore it immediately. It should function properly but when you get back to Konoha, you'll have to get regular treatments at the hospital for about a week or two. With this kind of injuries it would normally take at least half a year of intensive treatments, but knowing your healing a week should be plenty."

"Yeah, you guys are awesome." Naruto said as he tied his sash and looked over his clothes. "Now if only you had a technique to instantly restore my clothes to a somewhat reasonable state. That'd be really awesome."

"Of all the things you're worried about, you complain about how your clothes look?" Ino snorted, before she saw just how Naruto looked. "But yeah, you're right. You look horrid in that."

"You can probably get most of the blood out if you go wash it with this." Shizune handed Naruto a bar of soap before giving him some more instructions, "make the soap wet with some cold water, then rub it on the dry clothes, wash the clothes with some lukewarm water, that'll get most of the blood out."

"Alright, thanks Shizune-nee." Naruto grabbed the bar and instantly dashed off to the bathroom.

As soon as he left, both Ino and Sakura dropped to the floor, breathing hard. The minor genjutsu that Shizune had cast on them to make them appear fine faded, revealing them to look utterly exhausted.

"Shizune-sempai, thanks for casting that Genjutsu before Naruto would notice anything." Ino quickly said, reaching for a soldier-pill.

"Of course," Shizune smiled, picking up Tonton. "If Naruto-kun saw the two of you get exhausted he'd demand you stop healing him. We didn't have time to deal with his stubborn antics."

"Good work today you two." Tsunade said, looking at her three students with a smile. "Seven minutes of non-stop intensive healing, followed by another ten of chakra-guiding and check-ups. Hard to imagine that only a year ago, neither of you could hold up a medical jutsu for more then four minutes."

"Thank you Tsunade-Shiso." Sakura said, chewing a soldier-pill. "Fortunately you taught us how to guide someone else's chakra. I don't think we could have pulled it off without using the Kyuubi's chakra as a focus when the seal was de-activated."

"Well, take the next fifteen minutes to recover, you've earned it, then get back in your seats five minutes before the fight starts." Tsunade turned around, quickly losing herself to her thoughts.

XxX

"What in the name of Jashin-sama was THAT!" Hidan almost dropped his popcorn and soda as he yelled at Kakuzu. The ancient shinobi was sitting with his elbows on his knees, his face hidden behind his folded hands. He didn't answer, because he was still thinking about what he had seen.

"Oi heathen bastard, what was that?" he asked again, his voice returning to a normal level as he sat back down. "It looks pretty damn fucking nasty too! That big guy, may Jashin-sama claim his violent soul and let it kill and rage at his side for eternal destruction, had skin almost as tough as your Stone-skin technique and he cut right through it. Hell, I'm pretty damn sure even I wouldn't enjoy one of those to my face."

"It's Earth Element: Earth Spear, not 'stone-skin-technique' you fucking imbecile." Kakuzu replied with annoyance. "But in some way, you're right. I guess miracles do happen, if a moron like you can guess something right. That technique reminds me of Wind Element; Storm of Blades, but it's much faster, more compact and obviously far sharper." By now he was mumbling to himself, speaking so softly that Hidan could barely understand any of it. "Based on just how cut up that berserker is, I'd say it strikes on the same level of density as Lightning Element; Ground Shocking Spikes, only it cuts and slashes instead of stabbing and stunning. The speed was far above anything I've ever seen, meaning it's practically impossible to dodge once it's activated. A fire elemental barrier technique might be able to stop it, but with that many strikes, so fast…"

"What the fuck are you going on about, mumbling under your goddamn breath!" Hidan once again nearly lost his temper, but he was silenced with a glare from Kakuzu.

"That technique is an assassination technique of high level, using a lot of chakra as I'm sure you've noticed by now."

"No shit, that one attack felt like it had almost as much chakra as your four-elemental blast."

"Shut up! Well, that technique is similar to several other techniques I've seen and fought before, but it is activated instantly and it looks like it releases a large multitude of minor strikes in the direction however is using it releases. But from the injuries that were on his arm when those two other kids jumped down, it's obvious he doesn't have complete control over it, so it's a dangerous technique for him to use. And he has to use it at close range, so it's mostly useless against long-range fighters until he manages to close the distance…"

"Will you fucking knock that off!" Hidan threw some popcorn in Kakuzu's face grinning, immediately earning his partner's evil eye once again, making the immortal laugh out loud. "You keep mumbling to yourself, what in the name of Jashin-sama are you going on and on and on about?"

"I was trying to analyze that technique he just used and think of counters to it." Kakuzu forced himself to calm down, knowing that the leader would not be pleased if he started a large-scale destruction before they caught the demons.

"And?"

"Well, as I was saying before a certain brainless retard was interrupting me, that technique strikes instantly and with many different miniscule strikes at the same time but it's limited to–"

"Whatever…"

"Gaargh!" Kakuzu could barely keep himself from literally tearing Hidan to shreds, forcing himself to think that aside from the wrath of the Leader, he would also instigate a fight with all five Kages. And even he couldn't take on all five of them at once.

"Here's something that even your idiot brain should be able to process; think of it as being hit by a gazillion shuriken. At the same time."

XxX

Five minutes before his match, Naruto was still in the bathroom, washing his clothes. After having left the four medics, the blond had run into Chouji who had forced him to eat some food. As expected, Chouji knew many things about food that Naruto had never even thought about, like what food had the best nutrition, or what could be eaten so give him a boost in strength and not get in his way during his next match. The small snack had indeed given Naruto a refreshing boost of energy, but it also meant he only had ten minutes to get his clothing clean and get into the arena.

While he was busy scrubbing his left sleeve, the only place that still had significant amounts of blood on it, the door into the lavatory opened. Looking in the mirror, Naruto made eye contact with Suigetsu as he entered the room. Although both young men tensed up a bit at the sight of their next opponent, neither said a word.

Stepping to the side, Suigetsu chose a toilet where he could keep an easy eye on Naruto as he relieved himself. Meanwhile, Naruto kept one eye on the swordsman's figure in the mirror as he continued to scrub the sleeve. Just as he swung the haori back on, Suigetsu was done and stepped next to him to wash his hands.

"Oh right, I won't get another chance to say this, but… thanks." Suigetsu suddenly said as he stopped the stream of water.

"What for?" Naruto asked, stepping aside to allow Suigetsu to get a towel.

"Jugo," Suigetsu cleaned his hands, not explaining any further until he was done. "He hated his own life. By now I'm sure you've noticed he wasn't really stable."

"No, I completely missed the total change between the none-violent version and the insane berserker." Naruto replied with sarcasm, still not sure if he should let his guard down or not.

"Jugo hated violence, but he couldn't control his urges. His mutation, which resulted in the Curse Seal, turned him into a madman with no objectives other then killing. He came to Orochimaru for a solution, but all that he did was recreate a more stable but less powerful form of the seal. They made a deal; if Jugo would come over here and kill you, Orochimaru would cure him of the Curse Seal, fulfilling Jugo's one wish. You killed him, making sure he couldn't lose himself to his rage again. That's why I'm thanking you; he didn't like his life the way it was and you made sure he couldn't kill anymore."

"Well, I guess you're welcome then. First time someone thanked me for killing their friend."

"Jugo and I were many things, but not friends. At best, you could say we had… mutual respect for each others abilities." Suigetsu quickly returned.

"But let me ask you something; do you think that Orochimaru would have fulfilled his promise and heal Jugo after he killed me?" Naruto asked, an idea popping into his head.

"Don't know for sure." Suigetsu shrugged, leaning on the sink as he spoke to Naruto. "But I doubt it. Orochimaru isn't one to give up on a power like the Curse Seal for no good reason."

"Yeah, I thought so too." Naruto said as he tied his sash while leaning against the wall. "Orochimaru didn't strike me as the kind of person who would let any advantages go to waste. Just like how he wouldn't let something as precious as the Sharingan go to waste. Tell me though, did Jugo know he wouldn't have kept his promise"

A grin appeared on Suigetsu's face as he stood up and moved to the door.

"Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Jugo was no idiot when he was calm, but even if he did know the truth deep down… Everyone needs something to hope for. Even if it's false."

* * *

As always much thanks to my beta Kushin-eX for going over this chapter.

Please be sure to let me know what you thought of it in a review.


	44. Chapter 44

Disclaimer: don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

There were only a few minutes to spare when Naruto met up with his friends in the audience, returning to the bathroom. Both Sakura and Jiraiya could see something had happened while he was gone, because of the difference in the way Naruto walked and held his head. If it was a positive change or a negative one, however, couldn't be determined just yet.

"Yo!" The blond greeted them as he sat down next to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, can you check my arm over one last time before the fight starts? I want to make sure it's in working order again."

"Sure thing; Ino, Kiba, Lee and Neji, stand around us so the others can't see what we're doing please."

The three Chuunin and one Jounin quickly complied, closing in around the two as Sakura quickly freed Naruto's arm from it's sleeve to check it out again. Silently, Naruto thankedhis former teammate for asking for the barrier, because he didn't want the others to see his body; the… asymmetry of it… still caused him quite some discomfort.

Especially with Hinata so close by; he had to force himself to glue his eyes to his feet, while she was so near. She was wearing the same clothing she had on the day he had seen her in the Hyuuga's training ground and if he let his eyes wander, he was sure to lose his concentration. The distraction was certainly a nice one, but not one he could afford now. One slip-up in his next fight and he was dead.

Neji, who was watching the area with his Byakugan, could clearly see Naruto's eyes almost wandering towards Hinata, before he forced them back. He had to suppress a rare smile; Hinabi-sama had been right about Naruto, it seems. He was at least somewhat attracted to her daughter.

As Sakura was moving her glowing hands over Naruto's arm, Konohamaru and Hanabi were both fidgeting to get closer to their team leader and ask him a lot of questions. That much was obvious to see for everyone around. They couldn't move in, however, because of the barrier the four shinobi made around Naruto.

Aside from that, Shino was looking at them over his sunglasses, giving them a look that immediately stopped them from asking any questions. He had already had a small argument with Kiba about it, before closing it by saying "Would it be smart to have him explain the details of his special technique here, in the middle of an enemy area? No, it would mean that an enemy village would hear about it and thus gain means of recreating or countering it. Thus, we will wait until we're back in Konoha before asking any questions."

"Ok, I'm done Naruto." Sakura announced, putting Naruto's clothing back in their proper state. "Your arm should be fine, it might still be a little sensitive but it shouldn't give you any other problems. Good luck."

"Alright, great!" Naruto announced, bouncing back up. "Well, wish me luck everyone. It's time I start kicking some ass."

As everyone said their own encouragements – ranging from a 'Just don't die' from Shikamaru to 'Go and let the fires of youth that burn so deeply inside you consume you and allow you to marvellously overcome any trials your enemy may set before you' from Lee – Naruto exchanged a quick look with Jiraiya, making a vague gesture with his hands. Jiraiya returned with another gesture of his own; whatever mission Tsunade had giving Team 14 when they were sent here, it was about to be fulfilled.

From down in the arena, Kin's voice could be heard again, booming aloud and calling for Naruto and Suigetsu to return to the arena; the break was over.

With excitement clearly written on his face, Naruto jumped over the railing and landed mere meters away from Kin, ready to meet up with his opponent.

XxX

When Suigetsu had returned from the bathroom, with about ten minutes left before the fight, he was not surprised to find another guest in his temporary room. Kabuto and Orochimaru had their heads close together, quietly discussing something. Used to the two of them talking about stuff between themselves, Suigetsu simply moved to a free area of the room and started going through some basic motions to get warmed up.

He had barely started before the two broke up their conversation. Immediately, Suigetsu unsheathed his sword and tossed it to his 'teacher,' who caught it without any problem.

"Have Karin fill it back up." He ordered, not even stopping his warming up. As usual when someone tried to order Orochimaru around, Kabuto looked annoyed, but the Snake Sannin simply smiled.

"You know that it has now fallen to your shoulders, Suigetsu-kun." The legendary ninja said, giving his creepy chuckle. "You will have to be the one to ensure Uzumaki Naruto does not survive after today, no matter what happens."

"Yeah, I know." Suigetsu replied, never once slipping up in his warming up. "But it would be ever so nice if you tell me why you want him dead that badly."

"That's nothing you will have to worry about." Orochimaru chuckled again as he tossed the sword back. "There's not enough time to have Karin come over and fill the sword, you have a little under eight minutes left."

Orochimaru turned around and made to leave the room, giving his last order as he left.

"Kabuto, please fill it up. That should also work well enough for your battle."

Kabuto caught the sword that Suigetsu threw as the door was slammed shut. Only a few minutes remained before they would be called to battle.

XxX

Just as Naruto landed almost next to Kin, Suigetsu calmly walked out of the door into the arena, the presence of the two fighters making the crowd go wild once again. As soon as they stood close enough to start the fight, everyone seemed to feel the pressure of the fight and silence quickly reined over the stadium, allowing Kin to speak up.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Lords and Ladies, Honorable Kage's and everyone else gathered here today." She started. "Today we have seen many battles, each one even grander then the one before, but now we have reached the final match, the final battle of this tournament. The two strongest shinobi of this Chuunin Exam will now face off against each other; Uzumaki Naruto of the Leaf versus Hosuki Suigetsu of the Sound. BEGIN!"

Kin lowered her hand as she yelled, giving the sign for the fight to start. An instant later, like in every other fight, she had disappeared, leaving the arena to the two fighters. At the loud cheers that the crowd let out, it was almost unnoticed that, before they moved, both Suigetsu and Naruto inclined their heads at the same time.

The movement of both fighters was so fast none of the civilians had a chance to see the first steps. Only the shinobi, with their trained eyes, could follow the four steps that had been taken by each fighter before the clashed.

Suigetsu's sword slashed forward, only to meet with Naruto's Storm Shield, which easily stopped the blade and allowed Naruto to swing his left arm forward to hit his opponent on the chest. However, Suigetsu simply stepped to the side, keeping his blade between Naruto and himself, and lashed out with his leg.

Naruto raised his own leg, evading the kick, before swinging his arm around, opening Suigetsu's guard by removing the sword, and again tried to punch. This time, Suigetsu stepped back to evade the blow, but at the same time his sword already shot forward again in an attempt to skewer Naruto. A quick barrel roll in the air to the side ensured Naruto's safety, but Suigetsu was on him again before he could stabilize his feet underneath him.

Grabbing Suigetsu's sword-hand with his left, Naruto moved to strike with his right hand, But Suigetsu managed to place his empty hand in Naruto's elbow, preventing any movement from the empowered limb. Channeling the chakra in to his arm to reactivate the Storm Shield, Naruto threw his head forward to headbutt with Suigetsu, but the blue-haired swordsman had already backed off, releasing Naruto's elbow and pulled his sword free.

Just as his opponent, Naruto also backed off, allowing considerable distance to be formed between the two ninja.

"Well, just like I'd have thought." Suigetsu said, already crouching down for another dash.

"Yeah, our abilities in close-range Taijutsu are pretty much tied." Naruto agreed, stepping to the side as the two began circling each other.

"Exactly, which leaves only two variables; which one of us is better at long range…?"

"And which of us has been holding back the most until now?"

It revealed their fight for what it was; a slow, dangerous process of knowing every aspect of the opponent's fighting style that both ninja had silently agreed upon. Discarding the usual mix-and-match display of shinobi battles, they focused purely on one aspect of battle at a time; close-range Taijutsu had been tested; now it was time to move on to the next aspect of

their fight.

XxX

Both Hidan and Kakuzu had been silent from the moment the match had started; although Kakuzu had immediately realized the two youngsters were only sizing each other up in detail, it didn't mean the two Akatsuki-members couldn't gain valuable information from the exchange. And much to his relief, watching the fight down below kept Hidan silent for once.

The fight between his personal favorite, the Berserker Jugo and the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki had installed a certain level of begrudging respect and healthy amount of fear for the blonde's fighting ability into the overzealous priest.

However, after the two had a small talk to interrupt their Taijutsu-exchange, both Hidan and Kakuzu felt a familiar pulling on their minds; the Leader wanted a word with them, most likely concerning their mission.

Despite their mutual dislike – bordering on hatred for each other – the two near-immortals could understand each other very well. It was part of the reason they disliked each other so much. Glancing at each other, they made a quick silent exchange before leaning back into their seats and closing their eyes, surrendering themselves to the mental pull.

Almost as soon as they closed their eyes, their consciousnesses were moved to the astral plane reserved for private, long-distance meetings between the leader and other members. Without any mass or seeming stability to the astral plane, it kept changing color between red, blue, yellow and the most basic combinations of color made of those three. The Leader was already standing there, his face invisible safe for the eyes, as usual.

"What'da ya want?" Hidan rudely said. "The Fox kid and another are just getting started fighting, we were watching it!"

"Be quiet you blithering idiot!" Kakuzu yelled, prompting Hidan to try and retort, but before he managed to try, the Leader raised his hand and motioned for silence.

"Be happy Hidan, because soon you will no longer have to simply watch the fights. Soon, at the first opening that you see, you two will attack and make us known."

"Wha?" Hidan yelled, while at the same time Kakuzu spoke up in a much more controlled manner.

"Why us?"

"Because you two have been chosen, from the beginning, to spearhead our attack to the five nations. You will show them the power of Akatsuki and the terror we will inflict upon them. War is more then striking at the strongest fighters. With your abilities to survive even killing attacks, you will strike at the civilian's heart, destroying morale and undermining the general desire to war. It will be a highly effective first strike. Even nobles will stop thinking rationally when faced with an enemy that is seemingly un-killable."

"I see. What will you have us do?" Kakuzu asked, although he already had a good idea.

"Attack and interrupt this match, demonstrate your abilities and, while confusion and terror strike at the crowds, capture the three demons present; the Nine-tails, the Two-tails and the winged Ice user. The girl is still weakened, while the Nine-Tails will be distracted by his fight with the young swordsman. The final Jinchuuriki, the Two-Tails can easily be taunted into following you."

"Perhaps so, but the kage's will not let us do as we please." Kakuzu was glad that, for once, Hidan kept his trap shut. "We could fight one of the kage's without a doubt, maybe so much as three of them when we have advantages to use, but even we can't fight off all five kage's at once. And the Raikage keeps the Two-Tails close by his side at all times."

"Do not be worried by that, Kakuzu." The Leader assured. "I have taken precautions to ensure the five kage's will not interfere. Orochimaru and Jiraiya will likewise not interfere for a while, long enough for you to capture the targets. And just to set your mind at ease some more; I've opened the Nine Dragon Seal, so you can draw upon the powers we've gathered should things go wrong. Now go, go and show the world that we exist!"

"Hold on, you can't be fucking serious here! You want this fucktard and me to go and catch those stupid runts, then leave the area while all of these heathens still live!?"

"Yes." The Leader simply said. Next to Hidan, Kakuzu was uncharacteristically silent as his partner disrespected the leader once again. No other sign of his inner turmoil showed, nothing else to indicate that he was doubting his orders. "And one more thing; Orochimaru's remaining fighter has no love or loyalty for his master; capture him and bring him to us, he will be the key to bringing down the snake at long last."

Suddenly the connection was broken, both members of the elite organization returning to their bodies with a mild shock. Opening their eyes, the two immortals quickly shared a look before turning their attention back to the fight down below. The orders that the Leader gave them were to be obeyed, or suffer the consequences…

So, in silent companionship, the two looked at the fight, waiting for the first opening they could use.

XxX

Meanwhile, in the arena, Naruto and Suigetsu had taken up fighting at a distance, neither even trying to close the distance between them.

From halfway across the arena, Suigetsu swung his sword forward, a stream of blue water shooting forward once again. However, like Naruto had thought, the Pressure Blade was nothing more then an extension of Suigetsu's normal sword, following the same path. It made it very easy to evade from this distance, if you knew what to expect.

As he jumped up to evade the Pressure Blade, Naruto made several quick throwing motions, releasing half a dozen Wind Shuriken. At the other side of the arena, Suigetsu immediately rolled to the side, continued it into a cartwheel and finally jumped high into the sky to evade the almost invisible projectiles. His jump put him at the same height as Naruto, so he pointed his blade at the blond and once again released his long-range water blade.

Naruto evaded the attack in mid-air by making a quick Shadow Clone who pulled him aside, before the two Naruto's combined their efforts to throw Wind Shuriken. Unlike Naruto, Suigetsu didn't make a clone to aid in mid-air evasion. Instead, he demonstrated a rather creative use of his Pressure Blade by pointing it straight at the ground, pushing himself higher with it and escaping harm.

This had been going on for several minutes now; one of the two would initiate an attack, the other would evade and counter, only for the counter to be evaded as well. Just like the melee at the start of the fight, both shinobi were taking their time to get to know their opponent's behavior in battle, but unlike the melee this wasn't cheered on by the crowd. The close-range fight had been fast-paced and exciting, this was more calculating and slow, much to their displeasure.

As the two landed, they stood up straight again, looking directly at each other. Standing there without moving for several seconds, Suigetsu suddenly shot forward, his sword angled for a quick forward stab, while Naruto took a half-step back and dropped back into his stance.

Just as Suigetsu stabbed forward, so did Naruto take a step, using his right arm to redirect the blade, and punched Suigetsu straight in the stomach. The blue-haired swordsman bent over a bit from the force of the hit, allowing Naruto to step forward and slam his opponent in the throat with his elbow before spinning on his feet and continuing with a strong punch from his right, straight to Suigetsu's chin.

The enhanced limb's punch send the swordsman flying before he crashed into a wall, but the shock to his brain still prevented him from moving accurately. Or so it had seemed, because when Naruto rushed forward to continue, Suigetsu easily retaliated by cutting into Naruto's left shoulder before backing off again.

Once again, the distance between the two had opened up, only this time both teens had some injuries to show they were actually having a fight. Again Naruto stood up straight, no stance or form taken to prepare for the fight, as he looked at Suigetsu, observing him as best he could, before taking a deep breath. Closing his eyes for a second, Naruto took a second breath before he spoke up.

"How much longer do you want to continue this little charade? How much longer are you going to play around like someone you're not, when we both know the truth Sasuke?"

Although most of the people in the stands didn't know what was going on, the ones who did know – the kage's and Orochimaru, their assistants and the Konoha Shinobi – all fell silent as they heard the accusation.

Suigetsu, on the other hand, mimicked Naruto by standing up straight and relaxed, his sword hanging at his side almost casually.

"What? Did that little cut give you delusions? I already told you that I'm Suigetsu, not Sasuke! I killed Sasuke!"

"Yeah, you did say that and that was the first hint you gave me." Naruto countered, raising one relaxed fist. "Should I start giving all the hints you gave me? Because they were quite a few."

Naruto's index finger moved up.

"Hint number 1: you introduced yourself as Gimei Suigetsu. I'm almost considering it an insult that you gave that obvious hint. The reaction your teammates had already meant it wasn't your real name. However, the translation really gave you away; 'My alias is Suigetsu.'"

A second finger went up.

"Hint number 2: in the first exam, you were able to distinguish my shadow clones from the real me, something that's impossible with normal eyes. Even my team members never know if they're talking to the real me or a shadow clone. Hint number three: you purposely told me that you had killed Sasuke and when I didn't give any response, you stated it again. However, you never gave any details. The information I got about you from my sources state that you like to gloat. You didn't do anything even remotely like gloating."

Over on his side of the arena, Suigetsu sheathed his weapon as he stepped forward, a smile on his face.

"And don't even get me started on the way you fight, it's far too much like Sasuke. You use the same tactics, easily predict an opponent's moves and then strike back at them with it. not only that, but when you fought Izayoi, you demonstrated the same wings that Sasuke grows when he uses the Curse Seal at level two, you used a technique based on Chidori, but the usage of Chidori and any techniques that will grow forth from it is suicide without a Sharingan to protect you. And talking about using a Sharingan: when you fought the genjutsu user from the Mist, you saw right through his Genjutsus, even though they were very high level before firing them back at him. Then you used that same Genjutsu to gain an advantage on Izayoi when you fought her."

By now Suigetsu started a slow, mocking clap as the rest of the arena was silent. Even if they didn't know what they were talking about, there was an almost palpable level of tension coming from the two fighters.

"Last but not least, while he fought just now, you evaded all my Wind Shuriken, no matter where I threw them, although they're not visible to the naked eye. Even I, the creator of the technique, have major problems seeing where a Shuriken is going, but you evaded them all perfectly, which means you have eyes that can see chakra. And only the Sharingan and the Byakugan are able to do that."

At this point Suigetsu stopped his clapping before letting out a loud, arrogant laugh.

"Well, well, well and here I was thinking you hadn't figured it out yet. I was already beginning to wonder just I could point it out to you even more, Naruto." He didn't stop laughing, but now it was more of a snicker or a chuckle, as he raised one hand to his forehead. Punching the skin there, he suddenly made a jerking motion; at once the skin let go, ripping in two to reveal another person hidden underneath the skin.

Likewise, Suigetsu's shoulder-length blue hair fell apart as if it was no more then hay, strapped to a head, and revealed the raven hair that was beneath the false skin.

Still pulling off the second layer of skin – a hiding technique he had no doubt learned from Orochimaru – the figure that was standing on the walls was unmistakable; Uchiha Sasuke. Paler then he was remembered, but a bit older too. His hairstyle was much the same as before, if only a little longer then when he had been a Konoha Shinobi.

"So, Naruto… are you ready to really begin?"

XxX

Because she did not have any emotional ties with Sasuke whatsoever, Tsunade quickly overcame her surprise at seeing the Uchiha in the stadium, and immediately turned to the section where she knew the Konoha Shinobi were sitting. There was no telling what her two apprentices would do upon seeing their old crush. Ino had moved on quite well after Sasuke had left, but there was always something mystical about the first time a girl fell in love.

Sakura… hadn't gotten over it quite as well. She didn't show anything in her normal life to indicate she was still pining after the Uchiha. But, there was also nothing to indicate the opposite. As a healthy fifteen year old girl, the pink-haired kunoichi should have been actively trying to get a boyfriend – she had enough good looks and confidence to get one, and very few teenagers with that combination do not pursue a relationship for good reason – but instead she hardly interacted with the other sex.

Fortunately, however, it seemed that Sakura was in better control then Tsunade had thought. She was gripping the rails with enough force to crush it, true, but she didn't move to intercept the fight. And it was a good thing she did. Aside from the difference in fighting ability between her and her old teammates – Tsunade hadn't had the time to instruct combat skills as much as Jiraiya and Orochimaru, and Sakura lacked the natural vigor and enthusiasm needed for a close combat fighter – if Sakura had interfered in the match now, it could have spelt disaster.

Even as a missing-nin of Konoha, Sasuke still fell under the protection of the Rock because he was participating in the exam. The Tsuchikage would certainly understand it, but the attending nobles often weren't so understanding; disrupting a national event like this would surely spark them to go to war. As long as the tournament was still going on, someone striking at Naruto would be the same as a declaration of war…

God, did Tsunade hate politics!

At the side of the box, another rare event happened; Orochimaru let out a sigh disappointment, as if something had just happened that he didn't want to. Even when they had been in a team as children, such signs from the white-skinned ninja were rare. It meant that whatever Sasuke had just done went completely against his real plans, but he couldn't change them quickly enough.

As she leaned back, satisfied that Orochimaru was so annoyed, Tsunade almost allowed a smile to cross her face.

But there was still the original target of these exams and it kept all the kage's on edge; Akatsuki would have to strike soon.

XxX

Having finished looking each other up, both Naruto and Sasuke – still wearing Suigetsu's torn blue shirt and sweatpants – charged at each other, ready to begin the real fight.

Before they even got halfway, they were distracted as part of the stands suddenly exploded. The smoke wasn't even fully formed yet, the screams of confusion and pain only just breaking through from the crowd, when a second blast shot forward from it.

The explosion of flame from it's contact with the ground was enough to cover half the arena in smoke as the ground cracked. Both Naruto and Sasuke jumped up out of the smoke, ready to fight whoever it was that had interrupted. Two figures shot forward from the smoke, looking like an elderly couple. As the landed in the arena though, the genjutsu faded, revealing two tall, dangerous-looking men in black cloaks with red clouds on them.

The tallest of the two had his face hidden by a mask, only showing almost red eyes with green pupils, while the other had silver hair and was much broader at the shoulders. The smaller of the two had a huge scythe attached to his back, while the taller appeared unarmed. Nevertheless, it was the taller ninja that gave of the more dangerous aura.

"HAHAAAAAAAA LET'S BRING SOME PAIN MOTHERFUCKERS!" yelled the silver haired ninja as he ran towards the jinchuuriki.

"NARUTO!" Shikamaru's voice suddenly sounded loud and clear through the stadium, overruling even the panicked yells of the crowd on the other end of the stands, still covered in smoke. Apparently the lazy genius had recovered first and something had pissed him off. "They're the ones we fought before! The silver-haired one is the bastard that killed Asuma!"

Naruto took the warning to heart, realizing that the smaller of the two had fought off an entire team of Konoha shinobi on his own, but the next thing he knew was almost getting hit by Hidan's scythe. The weapon was much faster then it had appeared and only a quick drop to the floor stopped Naruto from losing all his teeth to an impact with the weapon.

At his side, Sasuke was suddenly besieged by the other member of the duo, his skin turning an ominous dark as he closed in. Dodging the fist intended to take him out, Sasuke was still forced back when the ground exploded once again. Kakuzu's enhanced physical power was enough to crack the remains of the arena floor, making Naruto lose his balance.

Again Hidan's scythe flew forward, intend on cutting Naruto to pieces. But, with his balance lost as it was, there was no way for the blond to evade the attack. In a human reflex he had never been able to completely subdue, Naruto's eyes shot close with the realization this was the end…

* * *

As always much thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

Please let me know what you think of the chapter in a review.


	45. Chapter 45

Disclaimer: Don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it

* * *

Even as his reflex to close his eyes took over, Naruto still bent at the knees to move underneath the scythe that was quickly coming his way. Yet before Naruto would have felt the sensation in the air of the deadly instrument passing over him, there was a loud 'cling' as metal crashed against metal. Immediately Naruto's eyes shot open...

A familiar-looking, hilt-less katana had crashed into the side of the Scythe and the impact had stopped the Scythe's movements. From the corner of his eye Naruto could see Sasuke dashing towards the strange-eyed Akatsuki member, a sword made of water already in his hands. Naruto shot back up, grabbing the still spinning sword out of mid-air with his left hand before dashing forward.

'Think back!' Naruto told himself in his mind as he held the sword in his hand. 'What did Sensei Hideyasu teach about wielding a katana?' Without any problems the words of Naruto's stern, harsh and sometimes cruel teacher of the Eastern Continent came back to mind.

"**A katana is more then a simple piece of metal intended to kill your enemies with."** He had always said. **"You must make it a part of yourself." **Yet despite the experienced teacher's efforts, Naruto had never developed a liking or particular skill with this weapon. He preferred unarmed combat and at the end of his five month training with the Samurai Sensei, Toyotomi Hideyasu had said it was better that way: a sword did not fit with Naruto.

'What was it again? Keep the sword close…' Naruto's thoughts were still racing as he closed the distance. He could see the silver-haired man pull on a rope attached to the scythe – now embedded into the ground – while also reaching into his cloak with one hand, so he knew he had little time.

"**A basic back-hand slash is often the best way to surprise your enemies when you rush at them."** Sensei Hideayasu words sounded through Naruto's mind, **"Keep your blade hidden behind your own body, keep your opponent guessing how you hold your sword and where and the battle will be yours."** A slight changing of the angle of his wrist and Sasuke's sword was hidden clearly behind Naruto's back. Apparently, the change was effective, because the Akatsuki fighter looked a bit troubled.

"**Put full force into every step****, accelerate to the maximum of your ability,"** Naruto did exactly as Sensei had taught him, speeding up more with every step, careful to keep the sword hidden from view. By now though, the scythe-wielder had pulled out an extendable pike from his coat and he kept it ready in his left hand to use.

"**Your**** enemies will try to counterattack, but they are limited in their range. Close the distance, shift your weight to avoid their attack and then use all ****of your****built up**** momentum to slash at full power!"**

Just before he was in range of the pike, Naruto dipped lower then before, his face mere inches from the ground as he dashed. The last-minute maneuver was successful; the pike pierced through the area where, mere instants before, Naruto's chest had been. As the Akatsuki was still extended from his stab, Naruto struck.

Bringing down one foot to force himself to a sudden stop, Naruto swung Sasuke's sword forward with all his might, combined with the extra force of his acceleration. The sharp weapon gave no more resistance then cutting through a thin wire as Naruto severed the arm of his opponent at the shoulder. He let go of the blade as soon as it had cut through the flesh, sending it flying just as Naruto had originally intended. He was, after all, better off without a sword.

As blood shot forth from the new wound, the Akatsuki member gave a cry of pain and surprise while his blood colored the arena, but he quickly kicked up his severed arm and grabbed the pike with his remaining hand. Naruto, still in a crouched position, spun around to avoid the sudden stab, pulled the now-discarded rope that was connected to the scythe, and quickly rolled out of the way of another stab.

When he stood up, the scythe was already flying towards him. Again, Naruto snatched it out of mid-flight; though this time he used his right hand. The weapon was heavy, just as he had expected, but nothing he couldn't handle.

'Remember the Western Continent!' Naruto now told himself. 'Remember what Sword-Master Lan said.'

"**Broadswords, longswords and other such big, heavy weapons, are not meant for quick and precise attacks."** The gigantic warrior had lectured his students at every class for six months. **"They are slow, so you cannot expect to win a close-combat exchange on speed alone. If your enemies survive the first hit, they will finish you before you can get in a second. Do not give them that chance."**

'Well, this definitely qualifies as a heavy weapon.' Naruto grimly thought as he used both hands to hold the scythe. The Akatsuki altered his direction, preparing to stab at Naruto once again.

"**Without speed, you must rely on skill, evasion, tactic and planning to overcome your enemy. Let them attack first, evade it and then counter."** Lan had explained more then once. **"Speed is important in a fight, but it's not everything. Power, weight and fear all weigh heavily as well. A heavy weapon is strong and inspires fear. Your enemies will become ****too**** eager to finish you off, overstretch themselves and that is your chance to strike. So let them attack,"**

The silver-haired man made another stab forward, this time aimed clean at Naruto's chest.

"**Evade**** the attack with minimal movement,"**

Naruto shifted his weight and moved on foot, allowing the pike to pass through the air just below his armpit as he stepped to the left armless side of his enemy.

"**Bring the weapon behind and above you, hold it with both hands,"**

Naruto did just that, holding the weapon just above his head.

"**And in that moment ****when your enemy is too ****outstretched ****to pull himself back, strike with your entire being! ****From**** the tips of your toes to the points of your hair, put everything you have into that one blow!"**

With a loud war cry Naruto swung the scythe down, swinging it with his entire body. The Akatsuki, still with the extension of his attack, couldn't do anything as his own weapon slammed right through his chest and nailed him to the ground. Instantly the ground turned a deep crimson as blood leaked freely from the three large spike wounds in his chest.

"You fucking heathen, I swear in the name of Jashin-sama that I'll rip every fucking limb off of your goddamned body you fucking moron!" The Akatsuki shouted, his voice not even weakened, despite the severe injuries he had suffered.

"What the hell?" Naruto couldn't help but wonder what was going on since his opponent wasn't dying despite clearly fatal wounds.

"I'll sacrifice you and every fucking bitch you ever even thought about to Jashin-sama!" He continued, but Naruto had had enough.

"You know what?" Naruto released his hold on the three-bladed weapon, and stood up straight for a second. "Shut the hell up asshole." In one smooth move, Naruto raised his foot and smashed it into the face of his opponent, breaking his nose and sending even more blood flowing. It did effectively shut the large man up, the blood flowing into his mouth and stopping his cursing.

Satisfied that the man was at least out of the fight, Naruto turned around to help Sasuke.

XxX

Meanwhile, Sasuke was having trouble fighting off the other Akatsuki member. Kakuzu, if his guess was right, based on what Orochimaru had told him about the members of the organization. The older shinobi dashed forward, hand raised to attack, and Sasuke raised his Water Blade to block it. The rock-hard skin wasn't even cut by the blade, but Kakuzu's punch did have enough power to completely shatter the weapon.

As the water droplets fell around the duo, Sasuke could clearly see Kakuzu's next attack coming, thanks to his Sharingan; another punch. Knowing Kakuzu's power was enough to crack the ground – literally – Sasuke stepped aside, barely avoiding the hit. Kakuzu however, adjusted his aim mid-swing and Sasuke had to jump back to avoid the blow. Before he even landed, the large man was upon him again.

Twice Sasuke tried to deflect Kakuzu's attacks, but the technique he had used to harden his skin did more then just raise his defense. It also made every Taijutsu attack stronger and heavier, while not slowing him down at all.

'Ok, Taijutsu's not working, time for plan B.' Sasuke thought as he ducked underneath another kick, his hands already moving through seals. With his Sharingan, it was easy enough to read the movements of his enemy, even if he did correct it mid-attack, so his hands were free to make the seals he needed.

"Fire Element: Flaming Phoenix Stars." Sasuke announced, shooting several small fireballs at Kakuzu. The senior shinobi didn't even bother to block or evade them, letting them impact on his stone skin and appear without any damage. Sasuke's hands were moving through more seals already, evading another one of Kakuzu's charges.

"Fire Element: Grand Fire Ball." This time his clan's trademark fire technique shot forth, but like the previous technique, Kakuzu didn't even flinch. By now Kakuzu had gotten too close for comfort, so Sasuke had to jump back. As he did so, Kakuzu's heel-kick cracked the floor again. Sasuke knew he was running out of time; Kakuzu's attacks, even if they missed, easily destroyed the floor, ruining any footing Sasuke could use to evade the attacks.

Sasuke stepped back, but suddenly he had stepped into a small grapple, giving him an instance of misbalance. There was a good reason Kakuzu was a senior member of Akatsuki; he had driven Sasuke, even while he was evading, back to an area he had already cracked before. Before Sasuke could regain his balance, or even try to, Kakuzu was upon him, grabbing him by the throat and rushing him straight into a wall, holding his windpipe closed with almost child-like ease.

But before Sasuke could even try to use a counterattack, his sword suddenly flew forward and planted itself solidly in Kakuzu's arm. Both fighters looked surprised to see the weapon suddenly sticking right through the older ninja's arm, but it was Sasuke that reacted first. Grabbing the sword with one hand, he quickly pulled it out and stabbed straight through Kakuzu's heart.

'Of course,' Sasuke realized as a sense of gratitude came over him, 'Kabuto filled this sword, so it's full of the chakra he uses for his Chakra Scalpel. Right now, that weapon can cut through anything without any problem.

Kakuzu took a step back, releasing Sasuke and freeing himself of the sword, but otherwise gave no indication of being injured. Sasuke's eyes widened as the older man shrugged off the stab wound, but even more so when Kakuzu suddenly opened his mouth far wider then should be possible and in that same instant a brown-colored blast shot forward.

"Earth Element: Continental Crush." Kakuzu said as his mouth closed again, the wires back in place to give his mouth a normal size. "But it should be weak enough for you to survive."

"Yeah, you can say that again." Sasuke announced as the smoke cleared, revealing him completely unharmed. The next instant, his sword had cut through most of Kakuzu's abdomen, lightning still coursing over most of his body.

"Interesting," Kakuzu almost chuckled, once again ignoring a potentially fatal injury. Only, the wound wasn't bleeding at all. "You used your Chidori Current as a defense, negating my Earth blast despite the close range. Now, let's see if you can also negate this."

Suddenly the color of Kakuzu's skin returned to normal, but even so he didn't start bleeding, only opening his abnormally large mouth again. "Wind Element: Press-"

However, Kakuzu never got to finish his technique, because suddenly Naruto charged at him from behind, giving a cry to announce his arrival. Both of his hands were together, holding a much-larger then normal Rasengan between them. Kakuzu turned around to redirect his blast, but the moment he did so, Sasuke threw his sword and pierced through Kakuzu's now unprotected shin. The elemental user was nailed to the ground halfway to viewing Naruto and halfway to Sasuke. Before he could do anything, Naruto had closed the distance.

"Great Sphere Rasengan!"

As the larger and more powerful Rasengan made contact, it literally shredded Kakuzu apart, his body falling in a multitude of small pieces, his limbs and head separated from the rest of his body completely.

Both Naruto and Sasuke allowed a grin of satisfaction to appear on their faces as they looked at the remains of the two Akatsuki fighters.

XxX

"Wha… This is the Akatsuki everyone's so afraid of?" Kiba questioned, looking down at the arena. The others were all standing right next to him, hands gripping the railing as they watched the fight unfold. "They were a bunch of wimps!"

"Yeah, Sasori was a lot stronger then this…" Sakura was also in awe, wondering just how big the difference was between the individual members of Akatsuki. All the others were suddenly feeling a combination of cheerfulness and disappointment. They had at least expected the feared terrorists to put up a good fight. Everyone, but Shikamaru and Jiraiya. Even Ino and Chouji looked somewhat disappointed; surprised that one of them had been the one to kill Asuma.

"DON'T STOP NOW!" Shikamaru suddenly yelled, fear obvious in his voice, surprising everyone by the sudden outburst. "THEY'RE NOT FINISHED YET! THESE TWO WON'T DIE THAT EASILY!"

Clear to the eyes of everyone in the audience, there was a sudden movement from Hidan, as he pushed himself up from the ground, scythe and all. When he was high enough, he placed his knee underneath himself to help getting up, and only when he was fully standing and had grabbed his removed arm from the ground, did he bother to even look at the weapon piercing his body. With one pull – holding his severed arm in between his teeth – he removed the weapon from his body and held it ready to continue the fight.

Suddenly wires shot up from the ground, literally sewing the severed arm back on. At the same time, the severed limbs – along with everything else that had remained of Kakuzu – shot forth wires that connected with each other, until Kakuzu stood tall once again, the only difference from before being that he no longer wore his Akatsuki cloak.

Before they had reattached completely, there were five moving lumps visible to the others in the arena; one on each limb and one on his head. Before anyone could recognize them Kakuzu had reformed his body and stood next to his partner, who was testing his reattached arm. Everyone in the stadium immediately fell silent as Kakuzu moved through several seals at once.

The first shouts of chaos already returned in the second it took to complete those seals. Before Jiraiya, the kage's or anyone else could give more of a reaction then sheer shock, Kakuzu opened his mouth again and released two blasts at once.

"Earth-Wind Combination: Sand Tempest." Kakuzu's voice could clearly be heard, despite the noise of the sudden sandstorm. "Behold, this is the power of Akatsuki. You can not stand against us and hope to win."

"We'll see about that!" Lee suddenly yelled as he jumped forward. "Leaf Spinning Kick!" The impact of Lee's legs – still with their insane weights on – could clearly be heard, but even with his power, the sandstorm didn't even give way. The sandstorm was as strong as if it had been made by Gaara himself, and it would do it's job well: keep the others out, and Sasuke and Naruto in.

XxX

"What the hell!" Naruto shouted as he stood next to Sasuke while the Sandstorm quickly swallowed the light. "You kill them and they just get back up. How the hell are we going to deal with that!"

"I don't know about that scythe-guy, but the other one has several hearts inside his body." Sasuke said, his eyes flashing around for any movement, but there was so little light even his Sharingan was nearly useless. "Each heart gives him elemental power, so he can use a large variation of techniques. Just keep killing him until he's out of hearts."

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked, now also looking around, but there was almost nothing to see. Instead, he focused on keeping his other senses sharp.

"Orochimaru was a member of Akatsuki and afterwards he kept tabs on the different members." Sasuke simply said. "Don't know anything about that other guy though, he must be new. At any rate, these two aren't the kind of opponents you can just defeat based on luck."

"So, we start another temporary alliance?" Naruto asked; a grin suddenly on his face. "Until we're done with them; something like that? Just like back in the cave."

"Yeah, only this time we'll have to work together a bit more."

Before they could begin planning their attack, however, Hidan's scythe suddenly shot forward, separating the two. At almost the same time, Kakuzu appeared from out of nowhere and kicked Naruto. The blond barely had time to raise his arm and defend himself with his Storm Shield, but without footing he was still blown backwards. Sasuke meanwhile had to dodge another throw of the scythe, which Hidan could apparently control even in mid-air.

Fortunately for Naruto, he landed on his feet, allowing him to sidestep Kakuzu's second attack. A follow-up punch was evaded by ducking, and Naruto used that opportunity to counter-attack with a punch of his own. Despite the power of his right-handed punch, Kakuzu simply swiped the hand aside with a palm-strike, before kneeing Naruto in the stomach.

Doubling over in pain, Naruto was just able to jump back and evade Kakuzu's elbow-blow, but the masked elemental user didn't give up. Instead he jumped after Naruto to keep up the offensive. This time, however, it was Naruto that pushed aside one of Kakuzu's punches with his right hand. Landing on solid ground again, the two began a quick and impressive round of Taijutsu; Kakuzu would attack, Naruto would counter, Kakuzu would evade and then retake the offensive.

Dropping himself under a high roundhouse kick aimed at his head, Naruto finally managed to let his counter-attack hit; his right made contact violently with Kakuzu's abdomen. With any normal opponent, the punch would have been strong enough to crush their organs and snap their spines, but Kakuzu barely felt the hit. He took a half step back,

Naruto on the other hand, felt like he had just broken his hand. Kakuzu's skin was by far harder then any form of natural stone he had ever encountered and any form of physical counter-attacking would be useless while he had that armor up. As Naruto was stunned from the pain, Kakuzu kicked him hard. The blond immediately saw stars as he was flying backward, straight into someone else.

Sasuke had been busy dodging Hidan's scythe, swinging his sword to swipe the heavy weapon away every time it got too close, when suddenly there was a loud grunt coming from Hidan's location, followed by loud curses. Taking the opportunity, Sasuke struck at the Scythe once more, but this time he grabbed the rope that was holding it and pulled as hard as he could.

This was enough to bring Hidan off-balance while Naruto, who had crashed into him, recovered enough to recognize what was going on. Still weak and groggy, Naruto could barely hit Hidan, but the blow he landed was good enough to buy a second or two, in which Sasuke appeared. The Uchiha activated his Curse Seal for a second and, as his skin turned dark grey, kicked Hidan hard enough to gain a lot of distance. The seal was de-activated before Sasuke had even landed.

Grabbing Naruto by the collar, Sasuke gave him a few rough shakes to bring him back to full awareness, and then turned around, so they could see around them.

"This sandstorm is blinding me, I can't see further then one, maybe two meters ahead." Sasuke said, while Naruto still tried to recover. "As long as this sandstorm stays alive, they have the advantage; they've obviously fought like this before."

"No kidding…" Naruto agreed, getting back on his feet as his dizziness was already reducing. "Hey, I've got an idea to break this sandstorm, but I'll need some help."

"What're you going to do?"

"Get above and out of this sandstorm, then cancel the rotation to bring it to a dead stop. But I can't jump high enough on my own."

"I get the idea." Sasuke said as he ripped off his left sleeve, bit his thumb and quickly smeared the blood over his arm. "Summoning technique."

In the middle of the smoke, a larger-then-life snake appeared, surrounding the two teens. Nowhere near the size of the great Manda, this snake was almost as big as the one that Naruto had encountered years before at the Forest of Death and still gave him a creepy feeling.

"Get on his head." Sasuke ordered as he stood back up. "He'll launch you with enough speed to break through the sandstorm."

Naruto did as he was told, getting up on the snake's head and immediately it coiled itself like a spring. Naruto wasn't given any time as the snake suddenly launched itself, sending him shooting at a velocity far greater then any jump a human could ever make. Naruto crashed into the sand at the same time as the snake coiled itself around Sasuke to protect the other boy.

Three seconds of pain and sand-eating later, Naruto burst free of the sandstorm and floated above it at the dead point of his jump.

"Alright, a clockwise rotation, easy as pie. Here we go!" Naruto said as he aimed his right arm, grabbing his wrist with his left. Instantly, a spinning disc of chakra, identical to the one he had learned when doing the first level or Rasengan training, appeared. The speed of the spinning kept picking up more and more until the disc reformed, the outer parts grower higher and higher, quickly forming a typhoon with it's origin in Naruto's hand.

"Fourth Technique: Maelstrom!" Naruto shouted, pumping more chakra into the technique as it came into contact with Kakuzu's sandstorm. There was a power struggle for a few seconds, but then both the sandstorm and Maelstrom came to a sudden stop; the two rotations had canceled each other out.

And at the side of the arena, far away from the center of the storm and the fighting between Genin and the members of Akatsuki there stood a large thing made of black wires, with a white mask in the shape of an eagle. It stood almost twice as high as Kakuzu himself, and was releasing a constant stream of air from it's mouth. This had been the force keeping the sandstorm up, allowing Kakuzu to fight without worrying about the sandstorm.

Hidan and Kakuzu were both surprised by the sudden breaking of the sandstorm and the return of sunlight, but Sasuke was ready. With a single command, he sent his summoned snake shooting towards the masked monster while his own hands shot through several seals. The snake had wrapped itself around the creature and bit it's head off, when Sasuke had finished his seals.

"Fire Element: Dragon Fire Technique!" At once flames burst from Sasuke's body and shot forward, until they devoured both the snake and the monster, burning everything in the area it affected. Both the snake and eagle monster were burned to crisps in mere seconds.

Naruto was still on his way down, breathing heavily as he held his painful arm; when Hidan's scythe suddenly slashed open his left arm. The weapon had made a wide arc behind him and, with Hidan's guidance, had cut right through Naruto's left arm. A quick pull of the rope later, Hidan had his weapon back in his hands.

Using his sleeve he whipped off the blood still on his face, then repeated the motion to make sure his face was clean of blood. He held up his sleeve to his nose, making sure none of his own blood would drip, as he licked the few drops of Naruto's blood off his scythe.

Almost immediately his skin started to change color, turning grey with white streaks, while he stabbed himself with his pike and used his blood to draw a circle on the ground.

XxX

"Shit, oh shit, oh shit, this is bad, this is BAD!" Shikamaru literally had his hands in his hair as he started to freak out by what was happening. The other Konoha ninja were all watching just what exactly had the genius strategist so freaked out, but the boy was in shock for a few seconds.

"Oy, Shikamaru, what's wrong?" Chouji asked, shaking his friend at the shoulder. "Why're you freaking out on us like that?"

"It's that Hidan guy." Shikamaru was apparently coming down from his panic high as he looked at his best friend. "If he drinks your blood and completes his ritual circle, any injury he receives while in there is transferred to you. So while he's in that circle, you're basically screwed unless you can get him out of there."

"What?" Kiba yelled, but he was silenced by the glare on Konohamaru and Ino's faces, although both were directed at the arena rather then the dog user.

"That's how he killed Uncle Asuma, isn't it?" The boy finally asked.

"You have to tell Naruto, and tell him NOW!" The attractive blond girl ordered.

"NARUTO!" Shikamaru cupped his mouth, making his voice heard even over the sounds of battle. "DON'T LET HIM COMPLETE THAT CIRCLE; IF HE DOES, ANY INJURY HE RECIEVES WILL GO STRAIGHT TO YOU; HE CAN KILL YOU WITHOUT EVEN GETTING CLOSE!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked up at this announcement, then looked at each other for a second before each started forming a series of seals.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto shouted, creating a dozen identical clones, while at the same time Sasuke shouted 'Summoning Technique!" to make a dozen large snakes appear.

The thirteen Naruto's rushed forward as Hidan tried to draw the lines inside the circle, needed to complete the ritual, while Sasuke jumped atop one of the snakes and rode it towards their enemies.

"Fire Element: Grand Fireball Technique!" Sasuke used the trademark attack of his clan and scorched the ground that Hidan was standing on, mere seconds before he finished the seal. The blood used to form the circle, still wet, quickly dried and chipped, ruining the circle as a whole.

As Hidan was screaming in both frustration from having his ritual interrupted and pain from being torched, Kakuzu was besieged by ten of the Naruto's and five of the summoned snakes. As soon as it was clear that the circle was ruined, Sasuke and the real Naruto jumped up and landed on the railing directly in front of the other Konoha Shinobi.

"So, Shikamaru," Naruto said as he crouched down, looking the pineapple head straight in the eye, "You seem to know quite a bit about that silver-haired fellow, start talking."

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As always thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

Please let me know what you think of this chapter in a review

And a long-lost habit of replying to a review comes back:

Zeke (annonymous) wrote a review at chapter 35 saying that Naruto used Shadow Clone against Deidara when he was in First Tale Stage. I have double-checked this by going over the fight again in the manga, and it's true that Naruto uses Shadow Clones to beat Deidara down, but this is only in his basic stage (when his whisker marks are thicker etc). the moment he started to transform to his tailed state, the Shadow clones were dispelled. in the later chapter, when Naruto is training with Yamato, this also happens; a shadow clone Naruto transformed into a tailed state and the clone immediatly linked to that one (working on the Rasengan with it) all disspel at once. there has, to the best of my knowledge - and i'm a bitch for details - never been an instant in the manga where Naruto used ninjutsu while in his tailed state. If you dissagree and can point me to a manga chapter where Naruto did use ninjutsu (other then the Rasengan) in his tailed state, please send me a review with the fight and if possible chapter number.


	46. Chapter 46

Disclaimer: don't own anything related to Naruto.

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"Aargh, what the fuck man?" Hidan cursed as both he and Kakuzu were charged by two dozen enemies, shadow clones and summoned snakes mixing together. Still in his transformed state, Hidan moved out of the still burning, and now useless, remains of his attempt to draw the ritual circle. Tearing off the remains of his still-smoldering cloak, Hidan stood in nothing but his pants. Meanwhile, Kakuzu jumped back and also got ready to fight.

The first clone that reached Hidan was immediately cut down, while a snake that launched itself at Kakuzu was sliced in two by a stone hand, dispelling it instantly. Two other clones and a snake launched a combined attack at Hidan next, but the two clones were far too slow to hit the scythe-wielder, and the snake's movement was completely predictable, even to Hidan. Swiftly stepping aside, Hidan allowed the snake to shoot past him and immediately stepped forward to fight the two clones.

The first one was dispelled upon making contact with the three blades of Hidan's scythe, the other was almost close enough to punch, but before he could make a move Hidan had already kicked the clone, dispelling it. Almost at once, Hidan turned around and cut down with his scythe, carving the snake up just before it could sink it's fangs into Hidan's neck.

Meanwhile Kakuzu had made it easier for himself; instead of fighting the two clones and snakes that shot at him, he had fired a wide-range water-elemental blast and finished them in one blow. Suddenly, before any of the other clones or summons could reach them, both Akatsuki members heard a voice resounding in their heads. A voice that could command and held authority. The voice of their Leader.

"_Remember, you must demonstrate as much of your power as you can. It is your task to intimidate the inhabitants of the five great nations that they can not fight with Akatsuki. So go and use your most powerful attacks to destroy them."_

"Fine, whatever." Kakuzu mumbled in response to the orders, although only he and Hidan could have heard the telepathic message. At once he crouched down, a second head growing above his own, and fired his technique straight into the remaining group of clones and summons.

"Fire-Earth Elemental Blast: Bursting Magma." Kakuzu's own mouth shot blasts of earth, while the newly grown mouth shot a blast of fire at the same time. The result was a massive storm of fire, mixed with solid pieces of stone to make the attack even more dangerous. The blast covered almost half of the arena and Kakuzu allowed it to rage for nearly two minutes before stopping.

"What the fuck Kakuzu, that fucking hurt you goddamn asshole!" Hidan shouted as he emerged from the fire, small burns on his skin but no other signs of injury visible. Before either Kakuzu or Hidan could react further, their attention was drawn to the sudden reappearance of Naruto and Sasuke as they jumped down from the stands and immediately crouched into fighter stances opposite the Akatsuki members.

XxX

It was not only the crowds in the stadium that were completely captured by the fight down in the arena. Even the people in the Kage's box were all silent and focused on the fight. Even Orochimaru and the Mizukage, normally sitting in an almost mockingly relaxed pose, were tensely watching the fight. Still, for all the tension that was palpable in the air, none of the village leaders showed any outward sign of worry, frustration or fear. To all appearances, they were simply watching the fight.

Behind the leaders, their assistants all stood equally impressed and focused, though some of them weren't able to hide it so well. Finally, one of the Tsuchikage's assistants bent forward and inquired of his master if they shouldn't stop the illegal fight before any of the non-combatants got hurt. The Tsuchikage simply shook his head, while the Mizukage spoke. Her voice held a tight note, previously unheard, as if she was itching to get into the fight but had to remind herself not to.

"We can't stop this fight yet. This is a unique opportunity to analyze and observe the abilities and tactics of a member of Akatsuki. We interfere now; we might risk crucial knowledge of their powers. And those two punks seem more then capable of staying alive I'd say."

"Much more than that." Orochimaru said; his own eyes still locked on the fight and his voice oddly serious. "If his opponent was anyone other then Kakuzu, one of the strongest members of Akatsuki, Sasuke-kun would have had more then a small chance of appearing victorious."

XxX

As Naruto and Sasuke crouched down, ready to fight, Kakuzu followed Hidan's example and threw off his cloak. In his case, this revealed a much more grotesque image, his entire body appearing to be pieces of skin kept together with wires instead of being a complete human being.

Naruto risked a quick glance back at the other Konoha shinobi before focusing on the fight again. He hoped that the others weren't stupid enough to ignore Sasuke's orders from just now. Shikamaru had given a quick and highly useful summary on Hidan's abilities and what he assumed were Kakuzu's abilities, before he said that he'd help out in the fight. Sasuke had immediately shot down the suggestion, though his reasoning was sound.

"_Don't even try to get into this fight. I don't know why, but for some reason these guys are holding back against us. They gave us those first hits for free, making it seem like we killed them while they were pretty much unharmed, but I doubt that nicety extends to you guys as well."_

With a quick glance at Sasuke, who nodded back, both teens rushed forward, Naruto already having his Storm Shield at the ready as he charged at Kakuzu, while Sasuke quickly created an Aqua Blade and rushed at Hidan, now wielding two swords.

XxX

Sasuke immediately closed the distance to Hidan, using his Sharingan's sight to easily dodge underneath Hidan's first attack, Sasuke slashed forward, creating two bleeding slash marks on Hidan's chest as he stepped too close for Hidan to use his big scythe or long pike. Again the Aqua Blade in his left hand shot forward and slashed at Hidan, the steel, hiltless sword in Sasuke's right ready to defend in a moment's notice.

Despite Sasuke standing too close for Hidan to hit with his weapons, the immortal tried to swing his scythe and send the Uchiha flying. Sasuke's steel blade met the pole of the scythe and diverted the blow, while the Aqua blade now slashed open Hidan's shin. The injury caused him to stumble for a second, in which Sasuke attacked his thigh, but no more sign was given of wounds or pain. Instead, Hidan suddenly stabbed forward with his pike.

But with his Sharingan, Sasuke easily saw the surprise attack coming and evaded it. At the same time, Sasuke attacked with both his swords, one removing the pike from Hidan's hand and the other opening a deep wound on the shoulder of the larger man. Hidan's retaliatory kick was likewise evaded and gave Sasuke a clear chance to hamstring the man.

'I've got to keep this up.' Sasuke thought to himself, evading another swipe of the scythe, 'I may not be able to kill this guy, but if I inflict enough injuries he'll lose so much blood he'll be useless. He is slowing down from the wounds I've given him already, so I'll get a good chance of cutting off his arms.' While he formulated his strategy, Sasuke evaded another attack of Hidan's and slashed open the immortal's belly. With any normal man, his guts would have literally spilled out of such a wound, but Hidan hardly flinched.

Meanwhile, Hidan was having thoughts of his own as he watched the small, agile teenager darted in between his attacks. The wounds the midget was inflicted weren't serious – at least, no to him – but because the brat stayed so close, Hidan was unable to make his ritual circle. And Jashin-sama would not be pleased if he didn't complete his ritual. In frustration, Hidan made another slash with his scythe.

It was intercepted before he was even halfway there, the steel blade stopping the weapon as before, while the Aqua Blade slashed open Hidan's lower arm. The wound caused his hand to spasm, dropping the scythe. Immediately, Sasuke spun on his heels, kicked the large three-bladed weapon away and returned to his almost surgical work at once. Without weapons, Hidan would be much faster and the range Sasuke was standing in was ideal for hand-to-hand combat. He kept this in mind as Hidan threw a punch, and immediately realized he had little to fear; the punch had been that of an amateur, thrown almost blindly without keeping guard, balance or the reaction of the target into consideration. Hidan was unused to fighting without his weapons.

Nevertheless, Sasuke could feel the power behind the punch as he ducked. Amateur in fist fighting or not, Hidan still possessed ridiculous strength, more then enough to crush his bones in one hit. Sasuke danced around another hit, suddenly exposed to Hidan's back, and attacked. A large, X-shaped form of blood remained on the silver-haired man's naked back. Hidan gave a loud cry of frustration as he whipped around and tried to kick, but once again Sasuke saw the attack coming, dodged it and once again slashed open a leg.

Again Hidan ignored the injury, although he had difficulty standing now, and looked at the boy. Sasuke held his Aqua Blade at the ready to attack, while his steel, real blade was kept for defense. Without warning, Hidan stepped forward and lashed out again. Sasuke used his steel blade to stop Hidan's fist, creating a deep wound in the immortal's hand while doing so – but it's point was now aimed at Hidan. As the apprentice of Orochimaru started to attack, Hidan threw himself forward and impaled himself on both swords.

Surprise and shock were evident on Sasuke's face and that was all the distraction Hidan needed. He linked the fingers of his hands together and jack-hammered the boy. The ground below their feet exploded by the force of the hit, creating a crater at least five feet deep and three times as wide, with Hidan at it's center. As the smoke cleared out, Hidan saw the Uchiha lying at his feet, but he didn't look anything like before.

His skin had turned dark gray, almost black, while the same change had occurred with his eyes. A cross-shaped scar had appeared on his nose but the most shocking of all were the giant hand-shaped appendages that had grown out of the boy's back. Those had appeared apparently an instant before Hidan had punched, because there was a clear dent-mark on them and they appeared to have been broken, while the Uchiha himself sported little more then a bruise mark and a broken nose.

Before Hidan's eyes, the darkness of Sasuke's skin pulled back, leaving the pale boy on the ground and clearly disoriented. Still pissed off by the injuries he had suffered, Hidan gave the black-haired boy a hard kick in the side, sending him flying out of the crater, before pulling out the two swords impeded in his body. The Aqua Sword he dispelled by crushing, while he held the steel blade at the ready. Using the blood that flew freely from his many injuries, Hidan had completed his ritual circle in a matter of seconds. Grabbing Sasuke's sword, unfamiliar with it's size, weight and length, Hidan carefully aimed the weapon and stabbed himself in the thigh.

XxX

As Sasuke had rushed at Hidan, Naruto and Kakuzu had both jumped to the side, gaining some distance for their fight. Naruto had previously tried to rush forward, but before he had managed to close the distance, Kakuzu had suddenly grown three large monster-things from his back, each one similar but different from the monster that Sasuke had destroyed a few minutes ago with his flaming snake.

But now that meant there were four opponents and Naruto was still alone. Kakuzu himself had once again changed his skin to stone and rushed forward, his attacks both skilled and powerful, while the three monsters circled around the fight. This in itself would have been something that Naruto could have handled.

The problem was that those monsters kept firing a powerful Ninjutsu attack every time Naruto managed to clear some distance from Kakuzu. Evading the masked ninja's Taijutsu was hard enough as it was; Kakuzu was almost as fast as Naruto, had significantly more power and his skill in combat was undeniable. Only the unorthodox methods of evasion he was taught by the various disciplines he had encountered during his training trip with Jiraiya – many of which were completely unknown to the Shinobi world – allowed him to keep alive and create some distance at times.

Naruto managed to duck underneath Kakuzu's kick, evaded his reflex to counter, rolled forward and immediately jumped away. Already, Naruto had tried to counter-attack, but Kakuzu's skin was too strong for Naruto and stopped any and all basic attacks that he could try. As Naruto was in the air, he saw one of the monsters – one with a Tiger-like face – open it's mouth to launch an attack. Immediately, Naruto created a trio of Shadow clones, who maneuvered him out of the way of the blast and then acted as a shield, taking the hit for him.

Naruto landed on the ground, but even there he was not save; the bull-like monster opened it's mouth and shot a bolt of lightning at him. Another Shadow Clone was created in the nick of time, protecting Naruto from the blast while he rolled to his feet. As soon as he stood up, however, Naruto experienced a sudden excruciating pain in his leg, causing him to fall down again.

Looking at the sudden wound, Naruto saw ample amounts of blood flowing from his thigh. It took Naruto a second to remember what Shikamaru had explained and realize that Hidan must have completed his ritual and stabbed himself. By the time he had realized it though, Kakuzu was already approaching him. With a glance at the side, Kakuzu had apparently given an order, because the Tiger-monster turned around and shot another fire-elemental technique, which hit Sasuke straight in the chest as he tried to get back on his feet. The blast created deep, ugly burns on the Uchiha's chest, and embedded him in a wall.

Suddenly Naruto was lifted off the ground by his shirt, looking Kakuzu straight in the eye.

"Too bad boy. You're mine now." He announced. Down in the crater he had created, Hidan stabbed his shoulders with Sasuke's sword, causing Naruto to truly cry out in agonizing pain as his arms grew limp at his side. Struggling and wiggling in pain, Naruto was still held up in the air with ease by Kakuzu. Without warning, Naruto's cries suddenly transformed from cries of agonized pain to something feral. At the same time, massive amounts of Red Chakra suddenly spilled out of his body, instantly forming the Cloak around his body.

Steam started to rise from the wounds Hidan had created as they healed almost immediately. At the same time, steam started to flow from Kakuzu's hand as the Kyuubi's chakra started to burn his hand. As soon as he realized what was going on, the treasurer of Akatsuki let go of the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, but before Naruto had even touched the ground, a tail shot forward and slammed into Kakuzu's face.

Despite the Stone Spear Technique still being intact, Kakuzu could feel the hit rattle his brain and almost knock loose a few teeth. Realizing the power of the Kyuubi's chakra, he jumped back at once, letting the small stream of blood flow freely from the corner of his mouth.

XxX

Struggling to stay conscious, Sasuke was close to delusional with the pain he was feeling. Not only was he suffering from broken ribs, possible broken shoulders and cracked skull and a concussion courtesy of Hidan, Kakuzu's attack had left him with intense burns on his entire chest, the smell of charred meat meeting his nose making him nauseous.

With the burn on his chest, as well as all his other problems, Sasuke was unable to move his arms and could only watch as Naruto transformed again into his tailed state. Kakuzu immediately created distance between himself and Naruto, giving Hidan a sharp signal with his hand. Barely visible in the crater and only a shade to Sasuke's fading vision, Hidan stabbed himself again, running himself through on the sword.

However, nothing happened to Naruto. No cry of pain, no sudden and unexplained wound opening up and no blood whatsoever. Instead, Naruto rushed at Kakuzu, a feral hatred in his eyes as the second and third tail quickly sprouted. But Kakuzu didn't simply stand idly by; as Naruto raced ever closer, the three masked monsters he had created fell apart into a bunch of wires and quickly fused with Kakuzu. Kakuzu, shooting wires out of his body at the same time as the monster's returned to him, immediately changed form.

The result was that Kakuzu was now standing on all fours, an additional two arms having grown from his shoulders, ready to deal with Taijutsu should the need arise. Kakuzu's face, now completely unmasked to show his grotesque mouth and long black hair, stood in a diamond with the other four masks. The entire transformation had taken no more then a few seconds and just as he was done, Naruto – acting and looking more feral with the second – jumped like a predator at it's prey.

"Four Elemental Blast!" Kakuzu and the three masks all opened their mouth, the four blasts that they created mixing into one extremely powerful attack that hit Naruto just before he could sink his claws into Kakuzu. The blast tore away the Kyuubi's Cloak and send Naruto flying with blood flowing freely from his mouth. The Cloak had protected him from the worst of the damage, but even that mighty defense of the Kyuubi had been unable to take the full power of Kakuzu's attack. As Naruto stopped rolling, he laid still.

Satisfied that their objectives had finally been taken care of, Hidan and Kakuzu moved at the same time. Hidan made his way over to Sasuke, finally stepping out of his ritual circle, while Kakuzu started towards Naruto. Unable to move or even think clearly, Sasuke was helpless to watch as Hidan approached him.

Then, without any warning or reason, Hidan's left arm was severed again, blood shooting from his shoulder. Sasuke finally lost his struggle to stay conscious, a piece of white-and-blue cloth floating overhead the last thing he saw before darkness took him.

XxX

It had happened before anyone had realized what was going on. One moment the two Akatsuki members had been victorious, the next one's arm was severed from his body, the other had jumped back to evade a sudden bolt of lightning and the remains of the arena-floor were cracked again, the entire stadium shaking as if hit by an earthquake.

The dust that had been raised was blown away by an unnatural gale, and everyone could see what had happened; the five Kage's had suddenly entered the arena and interfered in the fight. The Mizukage, a scimitar and falchion in her hands, stood in front of Uchiha Sasuke, one blade still dripping with the blood of having severed Hidan's arm. The Hokage was crouched down in the middle of the arena, her fist still stuck in the earth after she had caused the near earthquake from a minute ago.

Next to the Hokage, the Kazekage also stood in the centre of the arena, both Tsunade and Gaara standing directly between the Akatsuki members. Gaara's sand was already rising around the two of them, ready to defend or attack at any time. The Raikage and Tsuchikage stood side by side in front of Naruto's body, the Raikage creating the unnatural gale to help clear vision for the others.

The Tsuchikage's hand shot through several seals and suddenly he released another Lightning-elemental technique, causing several lightning bolts to shoot forward and drive Kakuzu back further. Next to him, the Raikage bent through aged knees and performed an Earth technique. The ground that Tsunade and the other shinobi in their various fights had cracked raised and the largest remains appeared before the leader of the Cloud Village. Quickly he performed more hand seals and touched the boulders with his hands. Upon his touch, the outer layers transformed from soft earth and sand into hard metal.

Some of those large metal boulders joined the Tsuchikage's lightning bolts in chasing down Kakuzu. Where the bolts could only move in one direction and would disappear upon impact with the ground or their target, the boulders were able to change trajectory and be used again, quickly driving Kakuzu into a corner. Suddenly Kakuzu reverted to his human form, the three monsters appearing again and shooting their own blasts to counter the attack by the two Kage's.

Meanwhile, Tsunade had appeared behind the Raikage and Tsuchikage, crouching next to Naruto. Her hand started to glow a dull green and she moved it over Naruto's body. She gave a sigh of relief as she realized he was stable and only a bit strained. The Kyuubi's chakra had taken almost all the damage and healed his old injuries.

"Hokage-dono," The voice of the Raikage sounded. Naruto stirred awake just as Tsunade turned around and jumped on the last of the metal boulders, just before the Raikage shot it forward. The boulder was hit by a blast of water-elemental chakra and knocked aside, but Tsunade jumped up and was suddenly facing down the Hammerhead-shark-shaped mask. One super-powered punch followed and the mask was cracked, the heart behind it exploding because of the pressure of the punch.

While Tsunade had moved over to Naruto, Gaara had moved his attention to Hidan and Sasuke. As it was, the grey-haired man was caught in between the Mizukage and the Kazekage and he wasn't sure who to focus his attention on. His scythe was still some distance away, meaning he would have to fight the two off with the sword he still held in his hand.

Gaara decided to save the man the trouble of trying to fight.

"Sand Coffin," He intoned, the sand rushing forward to do his will. Even without Shukaku, he still maintained a degree of control. The sand wrapped itself around Hidan's remaining limbs, but he was unable to fully bind the immortal.

"So, this is the limit of my power now?" Gaara softly questioned himself. The remark was unheard by anyone else, but it gave the Kazekage doubts.

"Good work kid, keep him right there for a second." The Mizukage laughed, placing her two swords on the ground. Her hands were already moving through seals while a grin appeared on her face.

"Water Element: Stance of the Asura." At once, streams of water appeared on the Mizukage's sides, quickly forming into 2 additional hands on each side. Her real hands pulled out a scroll from her clothes and summoned four more swords. Along with her scimitar and falchion of before, she now also wielded a longsword, a katana, a machete and a pulwar.

Still immobilized by Gaara's sand, Hidan could do nothing as the spiky-haired woman approached him with an evil, sadistic grin. Then all six of her hands started moving, each one faster then the untrained eye could see. Hidan let out scream upon scream of pain and cursed out loud, but the Mizukage didn't let up on her assault. When she was finally done, after nearly two minutes of none-stop attacking, there was nothing more left of Hidan then slices of various sizes, almost impossible to make out the difference between his organs and his muscles. Only his head remained intact, and an assistant quickly appeared to retrieve it.

Now finished with their target, both the Mizukage and the Kazekage turned around and joined the other Kage's in taking down Kakuzu.

XxX

Barely dodging another metal boulder – which were now being punched forward by the Hokage, with devastating effects – Kakuzu could see his fire-heart being trapped in sand that suddenly rose from the ground, with the Raikage suddenly appearing before the creature and used another wind-technique. As the aged man – but still a youth to Kakuzu's eyes – exhaled, a violent gale followed and tore the Fire-mask to shreds.

Now Kakuzu only had two hearts left, and that only by a lucky retreat of the lightning mask before the Tsuchikage's boulders would have crushed it. Knowing their advantage, the five Kage's stood before Kakuzu in a wide half-circle. Too wide for him to hit more then one of them in a single attack, he noticed. Knowing he was outnumbered and overpowered, Kakuzu did the only thing he could do. He closed his eyes.

Immediately his mind was transported to the mental plains where the Akatsuki Leader gave his orders to the others. Desperate to survive, Kakuzu tried to reach into the tap of power of the secret weapon of the Akatsuki. It was too early, he knew. The Leader had different plans for it, but Kakuzu needed that power right now to stay alive. Just as he reached for the power, Kakuzu was suddenly cut off and pushed back from the power. Before he could even wonder what was stopping him, the Leader appeared before him.

"Kakuzu, you are denied this power. It was never meant to be yours." The Leader said; his eyes the only part of his body visible as always. "Never have you been allowed it's power and never will I allow you to reach it. Now go and die, like you should have done fifty times prior, young and arrogant fool."

Suddenly, Kakuzu was expelled from the mental plains, his head shooting back up in the real world. The attempt hadn't even taken a second, but Kakuzu finally realized what had been going on. From the beginning he had considered it odd that he and Hidan had been sent, while Deidara or Itachi would have been a much more logical choice. They could have escaped easily after causing chaos. Hidan and Kakuzu hadn't been chosen because of their abilities, but because the Leader had wanted them gone.

They had been betrayed. And no-one would know because Kakuzu had no escape. The realization that he had been betrayed sparked an anger in Kakuzu that only rarely showed itself.

"GAARGH!" he cried out, rage blinding him from all else. "I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL!"

Another mouth appeared, the power of the lightning heart ready to join with his remaining earth heart, preparing to attack with all his chakra in one massive attack. The five Kage's tensed up, ready to intercept him, but before they could do anything, a sword suddenly shot out of Kakuzu's chest, straight through his earth heart. It withdrew as quick as it had come, and struck again, this time through the lightning heart.

His rage now replaced with shock and surprise, Kakuzu managed to turn around and saw Orochimaru, his tongue transformed into a snake which held the sword of Kusanagi. He realized that at last, after nearly eighty years of combat, he had been killed.

Dropping to the ground, his death approaching quick, Kakuzu mumbled one last time before he was silenced forever.

"Fucking traitors,"

* * *

As always much thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

As always, please leave a review letting me know what you think.


	47. Chapter 47

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it.

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After the sudden appearance of the five Kage's in the fight, followed by the quick defeat of the Akatsuki members, the crowd only had one response to give; pure, utter, terrifyingly heavy silence.

To many of them, even the shinobi present, this was the first time they had ever seen a Kage fight. Of course, each Kage was hailed as the strongest shinobi in each village, but to most that was simply a title, perhaps the stories of legend or wonder, but never truly seen. And they had proven themselves so much stronger then those two boys who had fought so well – to many people present, Sasuke and Naruto where some of the most impressive fighters they had ever seen and the Kage's made them seem like rank 1 amateurs – that it had been… humbling, to say the least.

Realizing the atmosphere, the five Kage's shared a look. Finally the Tsuchikage, as their host, stepped forward to speak to the crowds.

"People of the Nation of Stone and our honored guests," he started, his voice calm and friendly, but not without a hard note, "hear me out and learn what has happened here today. For some time now, the existence of a terrorist group has threatened the peace our nations enjoy. These terrorists, known to many as the Akatsuki, wish to spread strive and chaos around the world so they may take advantage of the weaknesses that will occur in that chaos. Their powers and abilities make them one of the greatest threats to all of humanity or the power of the Five Great Nations to have ever occurred."

A murmur of excitement and confusion ruled through the crowd as the Tsuchikage spoke, his expression showing eagerness and honesty to all present. behind his mask of honesty, the Tsuchikage was already planning his next words. In truth, the Kage's had no idea of the plans of the Akatsuki, but it was hard to control a crowd when you did not seem in control of the situation. Some small lies were unavoidable to ensure the obedience of the people. Not for the first time, the Tsuchikage was grateful for the many hours he had spend before a mirror to perfect any expression he could use at any time.

"For some time now, each of the five Great Villages has known of the threat that the Akatsuki represent and, as has always been our way, we have tried to deal with them. But these criminals are far too powerful to be overtaken by a single village. And knowing this, however unwilling, we five Kage's agreed to deal with them together; if they are the enemies of humanity and the shinobi world, let us stand united against this threat. Let us together raise our voices to deny them. Let us together raise our fists for our survival, to protect that which we hold dear."

More talk, but now more excited then ever. There had not been an open alliance between more then two or three of the Great Villages since the creation of the Village system, almost a century and a half ago.

"With our newfound alliance ready to strike, it had been decided that we would lure them into a trap of our choosing. We thank the brave shinobi who have fought here today for serving so faithfully their village's leaders and fight so well as to attract their attention. It is only thanks to their effort that our trap was able to be sprung. Thanks to their effort that now two of the most powerful and dangerous terrorists to ever walk the face of the world are now forever silenced."

As the Tsuchikage spoke, the other five village leaders behind him all stood neutrally. Even Orochimaru did not try to interfere; he knew the power that a crowd could have and if all the people in at least one of the Great Nations were focused on the Akatsuki that would only serve him; Akatsuki would be bothered and he would be free to move as he pleased.

But despite their silence and neutral looks, Orochimaru and Tsunade kept glancing at each other from the corner of their eyes, making their intent to kill each other quite clear, yet still keeping it form the crowds. It would be impossible for them to so much as throw a punch with three Kage's in between them and it would certainly ruin the message they were now trying to send.

The Tsuchikage turned around, having finished his speech, and the crowd burst into loud cheers as he stood amongst his equals. Acknowledging the applause, each of the six village leaders relaxed their stance and made a gesture to the crowds.

"Lady Hokage of Konoha and Lord Orochimaru of the Sound, please allow me to lend you the aid of our medical ninja to help restore the health of your two wounded shinobi. They have fought bravely and with great skill for one their age, but I believe their wounds will need tending too."

Both Orochimaru and Tsunade shook their heads at the same time, respectfully declining the offer. With a few short words they had explained they had their own medics and would see to their own shinobi themselves. Even in their new alliance, there was a chance of treachery, of learning techniques that had been used to strengthen the body.

Before Tsunade could properly excuse herself, there was groan from somewhere behind her as Naruto slowly opened his eyes. One hand raised itself to his head, shielding his eyes from the light, as he tried to push himself up into a seating position with the other. He reached halfway before falling flat on his back again.

"Don't try to move yet, you got hit by a very powerful technique. I'll check you out in a few minutes." Tsunade said as he struggled to raise himself again. For a few seconds, Naruto looked confused and out of it, but then his eyes focused again and he realized where he was.

"Wha? Hey Ba-chan, what happened? Where'd those guys go?" a wince of pain shot over his face as he tried to move his head.

"They're dead, for whatever that'll mean with them. We killed them."

"And the fight?" Naruto still groaned with pain as he moved his head, but it was already improving.

"Both you and Sasuke are hurt badly, it'll probably be canceled for now." There was a note of regret and bitterness in the Hokage's voice, but it was not a tenth of what she really felt.

"That… won't… do." Naruto said, now using both hands to force himself up to he could speak to Tsunade properly. "Let's take… a little gamble, a Ba-chan."

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade was surprised, but had to stop herself from not grinning back at the teenage blond. His grin truly was infectious like that.

"Place a bet with Snake-Bastard over there on the next fight; let our fight go on, and have each of us make a demand of the winner. Convince the Tsuchikage to let our fight go on and bet with Orochimaru that the winner may make any request of the loser!" There was once again power in his voice as he spoke, even if he was still unstable. Apparently, the very idea strengthened him.

"So you can ask Sasuke to come back?"

"That as well. But mostly so I can grind his ass into the ground at long last." Naruto grinned. "Do this and "Do this and u can ask _anything_ from that Snake-Bastard. You can make a request as my hometown, and I can make a request as the fighter. Come on, it's a win-win deal!"

"And what if you lose? You do remember my luck with bets right?"

"So? I won't lose, I _can't _lose. So just agree!"

The decision was already made before she even stood up. With a wave she signaled to Orochimaru to meet her near the Tsuchikage. Orochimaru was talking with Kabuto, who had come down to check up on Sasuke's condition, but abandoned his conversation and made his way over. It took Tsunade all of five seconds to explain the new addition to the bet.

"Add a bet like that to the fight? For what reason?" the Tsuchikage asked. The animosity between the two villages was well-known, but he would not allow something like that to ruin his village. "They have fought the finals; it was a draw due to interference from the outside."

"No, they have not." Orochimaru slowly said, his mind already making up suggestions on what to gain. "If you will agree to my adding an extra rule, this fight may start with my approval; there is to be no interference, from any source, during this fight. The side to gain such assistance will immediately be disqualified and must answer to any three requests of the winner. The demands may, in either situation, be anything except for the death of a leading figure in the village. Anything else is allowed. Do you agree?"

As always there was good reason behind the leader of the Sound's decision; he had closely observed every match so far and in all honesty, Sasuke had proven himself a better fighter, even against the Akatsuki. Naruto might have been able to pull out big guns when he needed them, but Sasuke's skill was at a much higher and more refined level. And if need be… he had other alternatives.

"Very well. Once we return to begin the fight, we state our demands of each other; one from the village leader and one from the fighting shinobi. Tsuchikage-dono, do you agree with this?"

"Well, as long as you do not break any of the rules in the tournament, I can do little to stop you if both you and your shinobi agree to continue their match. I will personally oversee this fight to ensure no-one interferes, and it is fought as a true shinobi battle. But first, a break to heal injuries and return the arena to a somewhat decent state. I will call for you in twenty minutes; see to your fighters in that time."

Without further ado, both the Legendary Sannin turned around to attend to their respective ninja. The odds in the next fight had just gone up severely.

XxX

As soon as they left the arena, Tsunade dragged Naruto by his shirt into a room, where Shizune, Sakura, Ino and Jiraiya were already waiting. The pervert's face was surprisingly serious, but Tsunade ignored him until she had handed Naruto to Shizune, with strict orders to Sakura and Ino to keep him in place. The young girls were still too tired from the last healing they gave Naruto to be of much help, but Naruto was still scared of the two. For once he quietly sat in his seat as Shizune began her diagnostic technique.

Tsunade and Jiraiya talked to each other in a corner of a room, their voices barely above a whisper.

"So, mind explaining to me why you did absolutely nothing to help us take out those two Akatsuki just now?" Tsunade immediately accused. If a Konoha shinobi would have struck down the Akatsuki, it would have done much to aid Konoha's reputation; people always hailed the one who dealt the final blow. Now that credit would go to Orochimaru.

"I did help out actually." Jiraiya started, his hands raised in his defense. "I was about to attack Kakuzu when Orochimaru moved in. and unlike Kakuzu, the old snake had noticed me. But I did more then that; I was ensuring that the crowd around the stadium stayed safe. Or did you fail to notice that not one of the attacks used in the fight stayed inside the arena? I had my hands full just moving around the stadium and stopping those attacks." There was a slight lob of his mouth, a corner raised just a split millimeter higher then normal, but to Tsunade it was as if Jiraiya was grinning at her.

"Anything else?" immediately his face burst into an actual grin, like a badly kept secret had leaked out.

"Yeah. While I was running around keeping everyone safe, I singled out a couple of people of interest. I found about twelve people spying on the fight, but haven't figured out where they're from yet. Aside from that, I discovered a couple of new and potentially useful information about other people. For example, five of the Lords of Wind have new bodyguards with them; something must have happened. I'll give you the full details later on. I've tagged the spies I discovered and I'll work on keeping track on them, find out where they're from and what they know. But Tsunade, what're you going to do with this bet? Do you know what you're going to demand yet?"

This time it was Tsunade he gave him a grin.

"I have a pretty good idea, but you're just going to have to wait and see. Now get out of here, I have to attend to my patient."

With the finality that only the Hokage had, Tsunade turned around and joined her three students. Jiraiya stepped out of the room and immediately focused. He had work to do. Information was power, more then anyone truly realized until it was too late, and few had as extensive a network for information as him.

Back in the room, Tsunade's mere presence was enough to once again silence the complaints that Naruto was about to rise.

"Naruto, Shizune and I are going to heal your injuries, but we can't help you restore chakra. You focus on regaining as much chakra as you can, while we heal you. Don't talk, just close your eyes, focus and rest. Understand?"

Naruto nervously nodded, knowing better then to disobey the older woman standing in front of him when she was like this.

"B-b-b-but… before that… can I ask something?" he squealed quickly. "Sakura-chan, can you please go get my bag? Konohamaru has it, and there are some things in there that I may need."

A nod from Tsunade gave the pink-haired girl the ok.

"Sure, anything else?"

"Well, if you could maybe manage to find a way to fix these clothes that'd be awesome."

Naruto looked over at the remains of his shirt – the three medics had once again stripped him to his underwear – it was hardly recognizable as anything more then a black and red collection of rags, rather then the impressive clothing the Hyuuga family had given him.

Sakura gave a nod and a smile as she left, though she had no idea on how to restore those clothes. They where, after all, specially created to guide chakra. Any normal piece of cloth would rip as soon as Naruto started fighting. Half lost in thought, the pink-haired medic sped off to get Naruto's bag.

XxX

On the other side of the stadium, another room was glowing an eerie green. Kabuto was healing Sasuke's injuries, but he also gave the Uchiha some of the forbidden medices he had created.

"These will help you regain your chakra, but in a few hours you'll start to feel the negatives effects. You'll be more exhausted then before, your stomach and intestines will be hurt and there's a good chance you'll be laxating as well. But for the next three or four hours you'll be able to fight without a problem."

Sasuke had already taken the medicine before, to test how he reacted to it, so he didn't need to be told that a wrong dosage could inflict cardiac arrest or deaden nerve endings. The dosage Kabuto gave was perfected through trial and error.

"You where lucky in that fight." the bespectacled medic said as he examined Sasuke's side. "Your injuries from your previous fight could have easily opened up again, but they held. Be careful when facing Naruto-kun. If he hits your side, back off and exam yourself for internal bleedings."

Sasuke only nodded as he tried to swallow the drugs Kabuto had given him. It was a big pill and swallowing it with water would dissolve the pill in his mouth, which had effects he didn't like. Orochimaru stood at the side of the room, silently watching. He had complete faith in Kabuto's abilities and knew the man best worked in silence.

The door opened, alerting all three men, though none looked up. They had already noticed her arrival in the hallway long before she had reached the door. Or perhaps, it was more correct to say that she had let them detect her. stepping through the door was a young woman with black straight hair and dull eyes. In all aspects she was someone you would look at and forget the second you took your eyes off of her.

A shimmer of light and suddenly her appearance changed. Her hair was now fire-red and kept neatly on one side, while it was ruffled and unkept at the other side of her head.

"Ah, Karin, so glad you could make it." Kabuto pleasantly greeted her, his usually smile in place. "I will need your assistance to patch Sasuke-kun up. And he would very much like you to help him out by adding more lightning chakra to his sword."

Karin, for her part, gave a look to Orochimaru. The village leader nodded once, before the girl kneeled down and picked up Sasuke's sword. Placing it against her shoulder for a second, she quickly performed some seals to make a white orb glow in her hand.

"Perfect as always." Kabuto complimented as he placed his two green-glowing hands on her white-glowing one. As soon as it was done the white orb grew in size and changed color until it covered Sasuke's entire body in the green glow of medical techniques. "Your amplification techniques truly are impressive."

But Karin wasn't paying attention to Kabuto's praise. She had never liked the silver-haired man, but she was holding Sasuke's nameless sword and focused on channeling lightning-chakra into the blade. When she finally got the chakra flowing, Karin addressed her one and only master.

"Orochimaru-sama, as you said Jiraiya was busy scouting the crowd for intruders and spies. He didn't notice me; I had my chakra suppressed ever since the Akatsuki made themselves known and was just as surprised as the crowds, but he was still scanning the people present as he ran past."

Sasuke's sword was by now beginning to glow a light blue, which mixed with remnants of pale green that had still lingered in the blade. No-one so much as looked at the sword.

"If Jiraiya moved by you, I think it's best just to assume that he has noticed you. Jiraiya may be an idiot about certain things, but he is far from a fool. His information network is extensive; it is also matched by his ability to process information and keep a check on his surroundings. Inform me of what you have discovered during this tournament after you are done. For now, focus your attention on healing Sasuke-kun."

"As you say, Orochimaru-sama." Karin mumbled, her eyes moving over Sasuke's bare torso. Her cheeks hardly stood out from her hair as she blushed furiously. She had always been a sucker for good-looking boys and Sasuke was among the best.

"Ehm, just s-so you k-k-know…" She started, her stutter returning again. She had hardly experienced difficulty when she had been looking at Suigetsu's face, knowing who it was hiding underneath. But seeing his face… "The chakra that Kabuto placed in it earlier is still there. A good bit of it was used up, but there are still some remains. It's mingled with my own lightning-chakra, so at least for a while you'll have both abilities. You can both cut through substances more easily and leave shocks while you strike. Of course, neither is as strong as when the blade is filled purely with one type chakra, but I don't have the time to fully drain it now. Besides, against that Naruto-kid's red chakra you might need the enhanced cutting ability."

"If I may enquire, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto started, though he never took his eyes off of Sasuke, "why did you agree to the sudden bet? With the power of the Kyuubi's chakra Naruto-kun can become quite dangerous."

Leaning against the wall, Orochimaru chuckled again.

"I have known Tsunade long enough to know what is going on. She hopes to gain a small victory over me with this, but forgets she has never before won a bet. But most of all, because of the opportunity it gives me to make demands of Konoha. I already have some ideas on what to demand for this match, but I'm still trying to single out the best one."

"Oh really?" Sasuke dryly remarked. "I already know exactly what I'll demand for my victory. But before I even start to think about the fight, I'll need some new clothes. I think it's time I started wearing my own clothes again, wouldn't you agree Orochimaru?"

"Yes, you are a mess." Orochimaru agreed, ignoring the lack of respect as always. Stepping away from the wall, the Snake Sennin placed a scroll on the floor and then left the room. Sasuke looked at the scroll, knowing that Kabuto would use it to summon his clothing as soon as he had healed Sasuke to satisfaction.

XxX

In the arena, the Tsuchikage watched as a team of twelve ninja moved quickly and efficiently to restore the fighting space to a resemblance of order. He himself was not particularly gifted in the arts of the Earth Techniques, but that was not a requirement for the position he held.

In the last twenty minutes he had seen this team of shinobi use a variation of low-level Earth Techniques to adjust, alter or restore the arena. The ground had been completely ruined by the last few fights, the walls were full of cracks, burn-marks, holes and craters, but the restoration team had managed to make the ground equal again and had restored most of the cracks and cuts in the walls. Now there was no longer a threat of the walls of the stadium suddenly coming down on the fight.

A glance at the sun told the leader of the Hidden Stone that it was time. he raised his arms for silence, which took a few seconds, and once again spoke. He was glad that the stadium was build in such a way that those sitting in the seats would perfectly hear one speaking in the centre of the ground, if he only raised his voice a little.

'_Acoustics,__ gotta love it._'

"Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests of distant lands and proud Nobles of all nations!" he started, the last bits of sound and movement dying down. "We have all come here today to watch a tournament, a tournament that is also an exam. And those who took the exam today have proven themselves most competent indeed. But now, we reach the finals of our grand tournament and despite all that has occurred today, it has been decided that the finals will still go on!"

This was answered with a loud roar of agreement; the crowd had come for a fight, and they would not – could not – get enough of it. Again the Tsuchikage raised his arms and again silenced followed soon after.

"But these will not be normal finals! For this last match between Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha and Uchiha Sasuke of the Sound, both the fighters and their leaders have agreed upon a special addition to the fight; with everyone present as their witnesses, and the four remaining Kage's to enforce it, the shinobi fighting and the leaders of their respective villages will make a demand to be answered by the loser. They are not the first, nor the last, to make a bet on fights such as these, and it has been decided by the judges that this match will go on. Now, let the fighters and their leaders ENTER!"

As he shouted the last line, two sets of doors swung open into the arena and two people walked out of each door.

One door, on the eastern end of the arena, Naruto and Tsunade walked out. Naruto's clothes were obviously quickly patched up by usage of several wires and quick patches, but they all blended in with the clothing quite good. While getting Naruto's bag, Sakura had asked Hinata about fixing Naruto's clothing. Shino had also heard, since he was sitting next to Hinata, and stood up. Since the clothes were made by his clan, he had some knowledge on how to apply emergency-patches with his own insects. The wires wouldn't be as strong or conducting as the real clothing, but it would do to hold.

On the other end of the arena, Sasuke and Orochimaru entered, both wearing the Sound's trademark purple rope around their waist. Sasuke had also donned an outfit similar to what most sound ninja wore; black pants and sandals, with a white long-sleeved shirt, which left his chest bare.

"Now then," the Tsuchikage said, "before the fight starts, make your demands of each other. Let the village leaders speak first. The Lady Hokage, if you would."

"I will." Tsunade said, loud enough to be heard by everyone present. "Orochimaru of the Hidden Sound, with these people as my witnesses, upon the victory of the Leaf over the Sound, we demand that you hand over all information on any financial transaction that the Hidden Sound has made since it's foundation eight years ago, with all the details attached."

"Very well, it has been demanded. Now, Lord Orochimaru of the Sound, what is your demand?"

"With all these people as my witnesses," Orochimaru started, also reciting the words of bounding to so public a bet, "I demand that upon our victory, one shinobi of my choosing will be sent over to my village, without right for revenge, recapture or retribution. The shinobi of my choosing will shift allegiance to the Sound and will do as is commanded. And for this purpose, I demand that upon our victory, Hyuuga Hanabi is transferred to the Hidden Sound!"

This statement did cause quite an uproar, especially from the part of the crowd where visitors from Konoha sat. Hanabi, Hinata and Neji paled, while Kiba, Chouji and Lee shouted in outrage. Yet in the stand of the nobles, Hiashi's only reaction was to blink twice, then nothing. It was a demand within the rules, he knew, and there was nothing he could do against that. Had Orochimaru demanded Hinata, Hiashi could fight the claim because she was Clan Heir. But Hanabi had no such title to fall back on. And Orochimaru would strike before Hiashi could even attempt to place the Caged Bird Seal on Hanabi.

After all, the only reason for this specific demand would be the Byakugan. Even if Orochimaru himself had little interest in the Bloodline Limit, other villages paid fortunes for an intact Main Family member. Hiashi knew all this, but there was nothing he could do about it. Since all five Kage's had given their support to this bet, even a family as powerful as the Hyuuga could do nothing to stop it.

"And so the demands of the villages have been made clear!" The Tsuchikage said. There was no need to repeat the demands. "And now to the ones who will fight. What do you demand of your opponent, should he survive the fight? Uchiha Sasuke, make your demand known."

"Upon my victory, with everyone present as my witnesses, I demand the right to kill Uzumaki Naruto without retribution. That is what I demand."

"And you, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"Well…" Naruto was slow to answer, but a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes gave him away. "Upon my victory, with these people as my witnesses, I demand that Uchiha Sasuke returns with me to Konoha and swears by oath – enforced with seals if need be – that he will never again betray the Village of Konoha. That is what I demand."

"And so the demands of the fighters have been made clear!" the Tsuchikage now looked at the three other kage's, sitting as judges for the demands of the fight. "Do any demands violate the rules that have been made?"

Three different heads shook in the negative. All demands were accepted. The Tsuchikage made a gesture and both Orochimaru and Tsunade turned around, leaving the arena. The Tsuchikage himself stepped back as well.

"Both shinobi, prepare for battle!"

A silence unlike any other hang in the air as Sasuke drew his sword and held it at the ready. Naruto also slipped into his stance, his right hand in front and held close to guard against any attacks.

The Tsuchikage poofed out of existence, even as he shouted.

"Let the finals of this exam begin!"

XxX

Shino was having mixed feelings as he walked through the hallway. He had one arm around Sakura and the other around Ino, supporting both as they walked. With their provocative clothing, this was sure to have been an enviable image, yet he was walking in this way because the two medics where simply too exhausted to walk on their own.

Healing Naruto so many times was by far more tiring then he would have thought, despite – or perhaps because of – his inherent healing ability. As it was, the girls leaned on him and he had to slow down his walk significantly. His dragonflies had already informed him that the fighters had entered the arena. He would miss the pre-battle exchange of words, which was oftentimes as important as the battle itself; it gave valuable insight into character and motivation for their fight.

But it was a small loss, Shino already knew who was fighting and his dragonflies could give an accurate description of what happened. Still busy supporting the two girls, Shino rounded a corner and entered a long hallway that, allowed them to see into the arena. There were no seats here, only an iron railing to stop people from randomly falling into the battle arena.

And halfway down the arena, leaning on the railing and looking at the two fighters in the arena, sat Izayoi, her four wings once again hidden beneath her long hair. At once Shino made several objective analyses; in this deserted hallway, Izayoi could fight them and use several powerful techniques before anyone could arrive, though she didn't seem posed to attack. Aside from that, she was having a strange look on her face – the first sign of emotion from the girl, as far as Shino could see - making her seem almost confused.

And now that her face showed some emotion – odd as it seemed to see her with emotion at all – it was hard to deny that she was a pretty girl. To Shino, such a statement meant as much as saying the weather was nice, but it was something he still noted; people such as Kiba or Lee would no doubt be pre-occupied with her looks and be distracted while fighting.

From where she was leaning on the railing, Izayoi stood up straight and turned to face the trio of Konoha Ninja.

At his side, Shino felt both Sakura and Ino stiffen as they tried to force their exhausted bodies to a state where they could fight.

* * *

Much thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter.

Now I would like to address something that obviously had a lot of readers confused: in the previous chapters I had the Raikage use Earth techniques, while the Tsuchikage used Lightning techniques. Many people pointed this out as an error and that I had switched the two personas around. Let me assure you all that I have NOT. Please remember that my Raikage, Tsuchikage and Mizukage are not the same as they are in canon, therefore their abilities will not be the same.

While the Raikage is the leader of the Hidden Cloud – the village specialized in Lightning techniques – and the Tsuchikage is the leader of the Hidden Stone – the village specialized in Earth techniques – this does not mean they HAVE to use those elements. I refer to the Hokage's (village of Fire) as an example; none of the Hokage's in Konoha's history have ever had a Fire Chakra nature. The First was Water/Earth (Wood), the Second was Water, the Third was Earth, the Fourth is unknown and the Fifth is (so far presumed as) Lightning.

I hope everyone can understand this difference and will not be confused again.


	48. Chapter 48

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about the Narutoverse, or anything related to it, just borrowing him for some fun.

* * *

Shino could feel the tension building up inside his body as he and Izayoi looked at each other. he couldn't detect murderous intent, but that was saying very little. Most skilled opponents – and she was definitely skilled – could prevent their intent from slipping out. Such was the way of the Shinobi, to not let your opponent read your emotions.

He still supported Ino and Sakura, which caused a large problem; normally the two girls could be an asset, powerful as they were, but in their current states they would only become a burden: Too slow to dodge, Shino would have to focus on protecting them if it came down to a fight.

That itself was a problem: he was a capable fighter, but his strength lied in stealth and recon, not open battle. Adding to that was Izayoi's control of the temperature; Shino's bugs – ants, destruction bugs and dragonflies – were all sensitive to cold. The losses she could cause for him in a matter of seconds would take weeks, if not months, to recover from fully. Despite all these worries, neither shinobi in the room moved.

"I wouldn't try anything funny right now babe." A new voice rang through the hall: Kiba had arrived, along with Lee, Chouji, Shikamaru and Neji. Neji must have seen the coming problems with his Byakugan – he made a point of perform an arena-wide search for enemies every ten minutes with his bloodline limit – and alerted the others. Now the odds where turned; Izayoi was captured right in between their two groups. Even so, no-one made the suggestion of a fight or lowered themselves in a combat stance.

All that happened was that the group of male shinobi took some space from each other which, given their different combat styles, was a good way of preventing them from hurting each other.

"If you'd start a fight now, we'd have you down before you can finish your second technique." Kiba warned, the wolf-head on his demon-wolf coat already over his head. That little act, identical to putting up a hood, was enough to tell Shino that the dog-ninja was ready for open combat. The wolf-head – earned by defeating the summoned wolf in single combat while at a disadvantage Kiba wouldn't talk about – was more then simply intimidating: it also served as head-protection as powerful as an iron helmet.

Kiba's statement seemed to have drawn the Mist Kunoichi's attention though: she slowly, cautiously, turned around to face the larger group of shinobi.

"Why would I fight you?" She asked, though her voice lacked the sarcasm that Shino had expected from such a sentence. If anything, her voice was as ice-cold as he techniques. "I have had no orders to fight you, there is no reason for me to attack any of you."

At these words, Lee and Kiba relaxed their bodies a bit, though they still remained alert.

"If you are not here to fight us, then what are you doing here?" Neji asked, his Byakugan still active. Like Izayoi, he didn't even give off a vibe of distrust or killing intent, but Shino knew he was ready to rush forward and strike the Jinchuuriki down.

"I have been ordered by the Mizukage to stay out of her sight, so I could not stay in an area where she could see me. Before then, she had also ordered me to keep an eye on both Uzumaki Naruto and the one pretending to be Suigetsu, so I had to choose a location to observe their battle."

Again there was no emotion in her voice, though Shino did half-raise an eyebrow at how literal she took the commands of her village leader. Still, she too looked alert and tense, ready to answer any threat right away.

"How long have you been standing her, Izayoi-san." Lee finally asked, stepping forward to greet her. the move may be innocent enough, but Shino realized that Lee was smart: as a Taijutsu-only shinobi he needed to get close to his target and this allowed him to do that, while lowering tensions: if it came to a fight, he was ready; if not, he had stopped the fight.

"I have been standing here since I was released from the medical area by the local medical ninjas, a little before the appearance of the two renegade ninjas." She said, "I have had to use my Ice Techniques to neutralize two different projectiles that where heading this way, but other then that I have not interfered, only observed, as I had been ordered too."

Lee's act of getting close and raising his hand to shake hers made the girl relax, but also did something more: she looked quiet confused, just as she had before she had tensed up for a fight. Shino felt the burden on his left shoulder lessen and knew Sakura had raised herself, before he saw her walk forward.

"What's wrong?" The medic inquired, inable to keep the sleepy sound out of her voice. "You've been looking confused for a while now, what're you thinking about?"

"I… do not understand the two ninja now facing each other down." She finally, ever-so-slowly admitted. "When they revealed themselves as old enemies, I thought that they would fight on, yet when there was a disturbance, they both fought together, as if they where squad-members and ordered to do so, and then turn on one another again, again without receiving orders."

Shino began to understand what was wrong, but it was Sakura who looked at the girl with a tired smile and answered.

"Just look at the fight, see what those two are going to do to each other, and you'll understand before long."

With that, she continued her walking until she had passed the mist kunoichi. Lee quickly moved to support her and lead her out, while Shino stayed behind with the others.

XxX

Down in the arena, Naruto and Sasuke's eyes never left each other as they circled the arena. Sasuke's sword was still at his side, ready to strike, just as Naruto's right was ready to move in either offense or defense at any time.

"Tell me Naruto, what do you think you gain with your victory?" Sasuke asked, though his eyes never showed a hint of curiosity. "Bring me back and make me never leave the village again. At best, I'll be turned into a breeding machine to restart the Uchiha Clan, never having any say in the matter myself. Or do you truly believe that the entire village will welcome be back with open arms after I had left them? Reinstate me as a full shinobi as soon as I say '  
Hey, I'm back.'?"

"I never said anything about that." Naruto replied, his eyes also completely focused. "My objective is only to bring you back; what you do in the village is up to you, my promise is fulfilled the moment I drag you back through the gates of Konoha. But I'm pretty sure that you can regain the confidence of the people of Konoha if you try: your fangirls are all still sad you left, that'll be a good place to start."

"And who said I want their confidence again?"

"No-one did. But I thought you might be interested in a power unlike anything Orochimaru had ever offered you, could ever offer you."

"Oh please, the power of friendship, of companions who will always watch your back for you? Who will hiss insults when you face down an enemy, but are too weak to make a difference the fight itself?"

Suddenly Naruto lowered his voice, until Sasuke had to strain himself to head Naruto's voice; to the rest of the stadium, the blond was silent, but Sasuke could understand.

"No, I mean a power of the kind that hasn't been seen in generations, something that Orochimaru is unable to provide for you."

This answer made Sasuke pause his steps for a bit, surprised as he was, but he quickly regained himself.

"And what exactly are you talking about, then, idiot? Trying to pour sweet honey in my ears to make me go with you?" Sasuke's voice build up in power as he spoke, and he quickly restarted stepping. Across the ring, Naruto mirrored him, taking one step aside for every one of Sasuke's.

"Maybe, maybe not, but there's only one way to find out numb nuts." Naruto replied, his voice gaining power as well, making sure the insult was heard by everyone present. "But enough talk, it's time you got your ass handed to you!"

"Just try it, Dead-Last. I'll make you eat your words."

Naruto shot forward in a dash, while Sasuke crouched down and prepared his sword to counter-attack Naruto's dash. A step before Naruto was in Sasuke's range though, he jumped up, just as Sasuke stabbed forward. Performing a perfect split in mid-air, Naruto linked his fingers together and tried to jackhammer Sasuke in the face.

The Uchiha, however, simply moved forward along with his thrust, sliding underneath Naruto before turning around and facing the blond. Naruto had also flipped himself over after landing, creating a small space between the two of them. The space was only there for a fraction of a second, before the two teenage ninjas clashed again.

Sasuke struck first, but his sword was harmlessly deflected by Naruto's Storm Shield. Naruto tried to counter-attack with his left, but Sasuke deflected that with his right hand and immediately used that same hand to attack. Bending backwards at the waist as quickly as he could, Naruto evaded the punch that was intended for his throat and, from that angle, attacked again with his left; his right was still busy holding off the sword.

Sasuke slipped his head to the side, evading the punch, but was unable to counter-attack, due to the angle. Naruto stood back up, now at Sasuke's side and much closer then the raven-haired ninja felt comfortable with. Before Sasuke could step back to increase the distance, gaining the space he needed to swing his sword, Naruto attacked. This time Sasuke could barely evade a hook aimed to the temple from Naruto's right. Standing up quickly, Sasuke used his momentum to knock his fist into Naruto's chin, rattling him, but he was unable to stop Naruto's left from connecting with his temple.

Stumbling from the shock to their brains, both boys took a few steps back before they could straighten themselves out. Still glaring at each other, both teenagers crouched down, ready for the next assault. In a sudden move, Sasuke threw his sword in the air, much to the surprise of the people present, and raised his long sleeves to reveal his wrists: there where dark tattoos that could only mean one thing: a summoning seal, written on Sasuke's skin.

Naruto only had an instant of quick recognition before he had to throw himself to the side to evade two shuriken, both aimed straight for his eyes. Even as he stood up, his hands where already going through seals while he guided chakra to his hair. An instant later his seals where done and Naruto started making wild throwing motions, just like Sasuke was doing opposite him.

Sasuke's black shuriken clashed into nearly-invisible objects half-way to Naruto. Likewise, none of the chakra-infused projectiles that Naruto threw came close to touching Sasuke. In the centre of the distance between them, metal shuriken clashed with Wind Shuriken and Hair Pin Needles. In the place of the clash, a sizable pile of shurikens was quickly growing, covered in strands of blond hair; it was a good thing for Naruto that the technique also influenced the growth-rate of his hair, otherwise he would have been bold by now.

At the same time the two former teammates stopped throwing projectiles, looking up the pile in between them. Sasuke's sword landed next to it's owner, landing with the point straight to the floor. Before Sasuke could reach out for his sword though, another Naruto suddenly exploded out of the ground behind the Uchiha, enveloping him in a crushing bear-hug.

Unfortunately, the arms of the Naruto clone passed right through Sasuke, revealing it as nothing more then a genjutsu. Before the Shadow Clone could recover and start looking for the real Sasuke, the thin katana ran him through from behind, dispelling the technique. At the other side, the Naruto that had been throwing Wind Shuriken and Hair Pin Needles at Sasuke was also stabbed from behind, but instead of blood an screams of surprise, that clone also exploded in a puff of smoke.

The blade that had stabbed both shadow clones was also gone, revealing that neither Naruto nor Sasuke was standing in the arena anymore; instead, they where both standing at the top of the arena's walls, still exchanging murderous looks.

XxX

Up in their private box, all six of the village leaders where quiet as they watched the fight unfold. Every single one of them – and their assistants, who still held to the shadows – was surprised at the fighting ability displayed: even Orochimaru, who knew Sasuke's abilities as best as they could be know, was silent: Naruto was much, much better then he had anticipated.

From their positions, the leaders had a perfect view to see what had been going on, from the slight insults exchanged, to the high-speed Taijutsu exchange, the highly impressive clash of projectiles – it was VERY hard to match your opponent weapon-for-weapon like that – to their last demonstration of clones, genjutsu, hiding and substitutions. The Mizukage, always more expressing with her feelings then was recommended for a kage, even had an eyebrow raised as she watched the fight with anticipation.

This was going to be good.

XxX

From on top of the walls, Sasuke jumped down as he looked at Naruto. He landed halfway to the ground, a position that would be difficult for Naruto to attack, but allowed Sasuke full vertical movement.

"This could go on a long time, wouldn't you agree?" Sasuke's voice rang clear through the arena. "From what we know of each other, this fight will drag on for a long time."

"Yup." Naruto agreed, but instead of moving down the wall like Sasuke had done, he instead started hopping up and down, bouncing on the ball of his feet. "This could go on a long, long time… unless we start revealing our hidden tricks."

"And what makes you say I have any such tricks?" Sasuke's tone was slightly mocking now, because he knew what Naruto meant: Sasuke hadn't been the only one to keep a few tricks hidden, even in the fight with the Akatsuki.

"'Cause I know you." Naruto replied, still hopping up and down, shifting his weight from leg to leg as he went. "And because a ninja is never without another trick hidden up his sleeve. Ready for round two, or are you gonna run scared when the big boys come out of play, just like back in the forest?"

"The only thing you can show that would be scary, would be the picture you took for your data-file, years ago. Aside from that, there's nothing remotely scary about you, dung-for-brains."

"That's what you think." Naruto replied, but before the words where even properly heard, Naruto had suddenly disappeared. Almost as soon as he had disappeared, Naruto was before Sasuke, his right drawn back to punch. Even with his Sharingan active, Sasuke's reaction was too late as Naruto punched him straight in the face, before a left elbow in the stomach doubled Sasuke over the other way. In the same instant, Naruto was gone and almost instantly reappeared on the other side of the arena.

Sasuke, the adrenaline that was coursing through his body allowing him to ignore the pain, stood up and looked at Naruto. Again, the blond disappeared, this time re-appearing behind the Uchiha. Sasuke was too late with turning to prevent another elbow-blow. It was all he could to move up, letting the attack hit his upper-back, rather then his neck. Naruto's other hand punched him in the side, before the blond disappeared again.

Despite pain that was flooding him from the hits in his face and on his back – both courtesy of Naruto's super-powered right arm – Sasuke forced himself to look up and see Naruto disappear again. This time, as soon as he laid eyes on Naruto, the Uchiha rolled to the side and enveloped himself in the electricity of Chidori Current. Naruto appeared at Sasuke's location for a split second, but he was gone before the electric attack could reach him.

Again Naruto appeared on another side of the arena, well outside of any attack that Sasuke could quickly use. But something was different about him: Naruto was now enveloped in what seemed like an orange flame, sprouted from his body. Sasuke knew what it meant: the Jinchuuriki was drawing on the power of his inner demon to supply him with chakra and enhanced physical abilities.

"How do you like it?" Naruto asked as he looked over the arena. Sasuke was getting back to his feet, breathing deeply to try and restore as much stamina as he could, ready to unleash Chidori Current again as a counter to Naruto's speed.

"It's something called Shukuchi." The blond explained, never taking his eyes of Sasuke. "It's one of the specialty techniques of a clan of Samurai I trained with on the Eastern Continent. They where kind enough to teach it to me, giving me something to outmaneuver your Sharingan with. It's the last thing I learned before coming back to Konoha."

Sasuke was back on his feet, his breathing calming down as he recovered from the damage. Already his mind was racing: how did Naruto's technique work and – more importantly – how did Sasuke overcome it?

"Like the Wind Shuriken and Hair Pin Needles, this is a supporting technique to my fighting. But it is an essential one, and along with my main techniques the inspiration for the name."

"What name?"

"The name of my fighting style." Naruto said with a small laugh. "Just like the Hyuuga use Gentle Fist and Lee and Gai use Steel Fist, I also use a specific fighting technique, my own one: Arashiodori, the Dance of the Storms. Should be appropriate, considering the nature of my techniques, right?"

Before Sasuke had a chance to answer, Naruto had disappeared once again.

XxX

"What the Hell!" Konohamaru yelled as he saw Naruto disappear once again. He, Tenten, Hinata and Hanabi where still in the arena, occupying the seats while the other had all run off to 'go to the bathroom'. Konohamaru hadn't pressed the matter – there hadn't been enough time for that – and hadn't followed them because he knew they where all stronger then him. That was one thing he had learned in the past months: almost everyone was stronger then him.

"Jiraiya-sama, what is that technique?" Tenten asked, addressing the silver-haired shinobi who was keeping one eye on the fight while continuously looking around the stands. "Is it some form of teleportation? I can't see Naruto move at all, and I'm used to training with Lee."

"It's not a teleportation, not even close." Jiraiya said, turning around to face the four young ninja. "It's an extreme form of Taijutsu; by combining powerful legs, build by hours of running and jumping, and explose bursts of chakra released from his feet, Naruto accelerates himself with every step, until he reaches a speed that makes him almost invisible to the normal eye. Think of it as a super-speed dash: Naruto runs forward, gaining in speed with every step he takes by jumping forward and releasing chakra. The combination of jumping – which has much explosive power – and running – which requires powerful push-offs – results in Shukuchi; the fastest dashing technique known on the Eastern Continent."

XxX

Sasuke had barely been able to prevent more hits landing when Naruto used his Shukuchi for the fourth time, only stopping the blond by completely surrounding himself in the Chidori Current to stop the blond from getting close. This time, though, Sasuke had gotten a good look at the technique: it was a dash, not a teleportation like he had first thought, and all he needed to see it was to focus his eyes on it. He could see it, but it was far too fast for him to counterattack, even with the Sharingan.

Naruto reappeared on the other side of the arena, still covered in the orange flame of the Kyuubi's chakra, when Sasuke struck; having had a clear view of the technique with his Sharingan, Sasuke rushed forward, chakra exploding from his feet with every step he took. For all appearances, he had completely disappeared, just like Naruto had done.

An instant later, Sasuke reappeared behind Naruto, but before he could attack, Sasuke froze and a look of extreme pain suddenly appearing on his face. Naruto used that instance to turn around and punch Sasuke, first a left to the stomach, then a right to the face. Sasuke fell back on the ground, still looking like he was in pain. Naruto still stood ready, both hands fisted and ready to strike.

"Oh and another thing: It's a technique you can't safely copy with the Sharingan. It puts severe physical strain on the user and unless your body has been build to deal with this kind of stress, all you'll do when using it is ruin your knees and ankles. Burns, doesn't it?"

Sasuke's answer was a glare as he flipped himself back on his feet, though he did flinch when he landed. His knees had taken a beating when he used the Shukuchi, but they would still work… as long as nothing went wrong.

"Now, as for my other tricks… here's a simple one" Naruto said as he stepped forward. Sasuke, expecting another Shukuchi, raised his sword, but Naruto stepped forward with normal speed and opened his right fist before it could hit. Sand and mud flew from his hand and hit Sasuke right in the eyes, blinding him. The surprise of sand and mud hitting his eyes made Sasuke flinch, lowering his sword and dropping his guard as one hand shot to his eyes, and Naruto used that opportunity to strike.

Stepping in to lend extra power to his punch, Naruto smashed his left into Sasuke's stomach, his attack hitting the exact same area where Izayoi had stabbed Sasuke in their match. Before Naruto could continue his attack, Sasuke took another step back and was engulfed in purple charkra, the burning marks of the Curse Seal quickly covering his skin. The intense chakra of the curse seal also burned out the sand and mud that was blocking Sasuke's eyesight, but there was one thing the seal could not stop: Naruto's attack had caused another bleeding to form on his abdomen, the blood far darker then from any other wound.

Before this all fully registered on him, Sasuke had lashed out with his sword, nearly striking Naruto in the neck before the blond managed to bring up his Storm Shield to block the strike. Ignoring the wound on his side like he was ignoring so many pains, Sasuke kept up an assault on Naruto. Normally, Sasuke's arms where already faster then Naruto's, but aided by the Curse Seal Sasuke could really press an advantage on Naruto.

Naruto ducked underneath Sasuke's swordswipe, but in doing so exposed himself to a kick to the face. Flipping over in mid-air, the blond still prevented serious damage as he landed on his feet again. Sasuke was upon him as soon as he had landed, sword slashing with deadly precision, followed by another assault by either Sasuke's empty hand, or his feet.

Unable to keep up with the speed that Sasuke was showing, Naruto had no choice but to dig in further into the Kyuubi's chakra. An explosive wave of red demon chakra burst from his body as he underwent the transformation to his Optimal Battle Form: his nails turned into claws, his hair became slightly red and much wilder, he teeth grew to resemble fangs, his eyes turned red and his whisker became more prominent.

Sasuke had only been temporarily pushed back by the wave, but it was enough time for Naruto: forming a Rasengan in his hand, he jumped forward to strike Sasuke with it. knowing the power behind the technique – even it's most basic form, it was capable of ripping rocks apart – Sasuke didn't try to fight the attack. Instead, he jumped back, creating considerable distance between the two of them and buying time. one of his slashes had hit Naruto's left leg, so his Shukuchi technique should be neutralized for a bit, meaning Sasuke was safe at this distance.

'What's going on?' The student of Orochimaru wondered as he raised his right hand to put pressure on the open wound. 'His fist shouldn't have been able to cut enough to open up that wound and he didn't use a kunai when he attacked; he doesn't even have those anymore. I'll have to finish this quickly; I can't keep fighting while loosing blood like this. And with Naruto's ability to recover… I won't be safe for much longer at this range. Time to pull out the big guns.'

Stabbing his sword into the ground at his side, Sasuke's hand shot through the motions for seals, even as Naruto tried to dash forward again.

"Fire Element: Phoenix Immortal Fire!" The most basic of his flame techniques shot forward, small but powerful balls of flame flying towards Naruto at high speed. As Naruto moved to the side to evade the balls, Sasuke's skin darkened, the marks of the Curse Seal spreading, but it was not enough time. Sasuke created more seals as he saw Naruto evade the first technique and close in again.

"Fire Element: Dragon Fire!" A massive flame burst out of Sasuke, several dragonheads shooting out of it and racing towards Naruto. Most of the flame stayed near Sasuke, making it hard for others to approach him as he finalized the transformation to his second state of the Curse Seal. This slower form of transformation, rather then the instant form he could also use, was easier on his body, allowing it to get used to the strain of the seal. Sasuke was already short on time, but he didn't need to put more stress on his body.

Quickly lowering his jacket, Sasuke grew his wings and immediately shot up in the sky, far out of reach of Naruto: the blond needed ground to push off to use his dashing technique, and in mid-air, he would be slowed just like everyone else. Here, Sasuke had the time needed to gather the charka and perform his long line of seals.

On the arena floor, Naruto evade the last remains of the Dragon Fire, his eyes quickly finding Sasuke up in the sky. The chakra that was streaming out of him took on a deep, dark red, almost black in appearance, as he continued on the seals for his technique. The dark red aura intensified around him, nearly devouring him; his dark skin was almost invisible to the dark background, but his white jacket was a giveaway where he was. Finally, the orb seemed to solidify around him, before it focused in one solid tonsil.

"Fire Element: Smoldering Hell Inferno." Sasuke intoned, setting the tonsil loose at Naruto. The sheer chakra that was radiating from the technique made it clear that this attack was powerful enough to level half the stadium: the half that was the arena, would be caught up in the explosion.

Without a way out, and knowing that techniques with that kind of chakra buildup usually ended with massive explosions, Naruto did the only thing he could. Shukichi might get him out of the arena in time, but there was no telling how much control Sasuke had over the tendril, so Naruto couldn't risk trying an evasion.

Instead, he did the only other thing possible to defend from a technique: neutralize it with another technique. Grabbing his right wrist with his left hand, Naruto focused as much of his chakra into it as possible, rotating as fast as he could. Within seconds a tornado had formed from his hand, created out of pure chakra, and it was positioned to clash with the Smoldering Hell Inferno in seconds.

"MAELSTROM!" Naruto shouted, focusing even more chakra into it. because of the dominance of the demonic chakra in his system, the Maelstrom was now glowing red as well, filled with the Kyuubi's chakra.

The tendril of dark-liquid-flame touched the swirling mass of pure red chakra, resulting in a violent clash between the two: the Smoldering Hell Inferno tried to explode, but the explosion was destroyed before it could fully combust. However, the remnants of the explosion also blew apart pieces of the Maelstrom. The two techniques met in the centre of the space between the two shinobi, destroying each other as they went. This also provided a dilemma for both fighters.

As soon as either one stopped the technique, he would be killed by the technique of his opponent. Drawing on the full power of the Curse Seal Chakra, Sasuke enhanced the power of his strongest fire technique some more, desperate to overpower Naruto. His desperate edge seemed to work: the flame-stream pushed back the Maelstrom, but before Sasuke could make the final push, three Naruto's suddenly appeared behind him. One was dispelled by the remnants of the Smoldering Hell Inferno, which still surrounded him, but the other two managed to get close and hit him in the head.

The disturbance to his focus disrupted his technique, giving free passage to Naruto's Maelstrom. The clones held Sasuke, preventing him from flying higher, so he did the next best thing: he stopped flying, letting himself drop like a rock. As he fell, the Chidori Current once again coursed over his body, dispelling the two clones before Sasuke regained stability and nearly landed on the ground.

That nearly, was close enough: the real Naruto had jumped Sasuke from behind, tackling him to the floor. One quick serving of Chidori Current later, Naruto had jumped back and Sasuke stood up, redrawing his sword. Again both stared at each other across the arena: Sasuke winged like a mutant, Naruto glowing with red murderous chakra like a demon on earth.

This time Sasuke took the offensive, knowing he only had so long before the bleeding from his side became a serious problem. Naruto had already had problems keeping up with Sasuke in his base form: at Curse Seal Level 2, his speed was almost double from before, Narutou would be unable to defend himself from his onslaught.

Lashing out with his sword, Sasuke cut Naruto in the left shoulder before the blond stepped back, followed by a stab aimed at Naruto's heart. Shifting the side, the Konoha-ninja prevented vital injury but still received a deep cut along his chest. Another slash, aimed his neck, was evaded, allowing Naruto enough time to bring up his right and block the next three slashes with his Storm Shield, before Sasuke lowered his point of attack and nearly sliced of Naruto's knee.

As long as he stayed in Sasuke's preferred attacking range, Naruto knew he was without a chance, so he did the only thing he could: he stepped forward to make it harder for Sasuke to attack. Unfortunately, Sasuke had his sword in front of him as Naruto stepped forward: with one swift motion, he had created a deep cut in Naruto's abdomen, only barely having missed the intestines, thanks to Naruto's quick evasive maneuver: swinging the side as he stepped in, Naruto had a clear shot with his left at Sasuke's chest while he swung his sword.

The fist hit Sasuke on the chest and immediately sharp pain shot through him: a thin but heavily bleeding cut appeared on his chest. This was something that would have been outright impossible without using chakra – and he would have seen that with his Sharingan – so that left only one other option.

Kicking a still bleeding Naruto back, Sasuke's hands flashed through another series of seals, this one very short but nevertheless painful: the stab behind Naruto's punch had nearly punctured his lung, as well as his chest-muscle. Moving his arm, or using it with force, would be difficult and painful until he got healed.

"Fire Element: Burning Breath." Exhaling forcefully, which hurt but Sasuke added that to the many pains he was now ignoring, light flames burst forth from Sasuke's mouth and enveloped Naruto. As quickly as he could, the blond jumped away, rolling on the floor to stop the burns, but Sasuke's objective had been complete: Naruto's clothing had been burned away, revealing the truth behind his cutting punch.

As Naruto was left standing in little more then his underpants, sandals and some pieces of his pants remaining, but that wasn't what interested Sasuke. The fold-in, spring-loaded blade attached to Naruto's left wrist, complete with the still-smoldering wire that connected the blade to his right hand, however, did draw his attention. As Sasuke felt the strain of his transformation upon him, he dropped back to his normal form while realizing what had been going on.

Naruto had used a hidden blade that required no chakra to stab deep into Sasuke's body, causing dangerous bleedings. Mechanical weapons like that used no chakra, which meant they weren't especially visible to his Sharingan. It was a true assassin's weapon: Sasuke had been a fool to think Naruto would not use weapons at all. What was worse, Naruto had made sure that both stabs he had inflicted before the mechanism was neutralized had counter: bloodloss from the stab in his side was making Sasuke dizzy, while the wound in his chest made bleeding hard.

Opposite Sasuke, Naruto had to slowly force himself to his knees: his injuries where bleeding heavily and no doubt nearly crippled the boy: he was covered in cuts all over his body, nearly painting him red with his own blood. And aside from Sasuke's cuts, Naruto also had several minor burn-marks on his body, but those where quickly fading. It was the wounds that had been inflicted by Sasuke's sword that hampered the blond.

Under normal circumstances, such injuries would do little to slow the blond, since they would have been healed by the time he got back on his feet, they would have been healed. This time, though, the injuries remained: the lightning elemental chakra in Sasuke's blade had lingered in the cuts and stopped any regeneration of his cells. The only lucky thing about that was that his rapid recovery also stopped the shocks from increasing.

Naruto looked down at his abdomen, silently thanking the Powers that Be that Sasuke's last technique had burned most of the wound close: the worst of the bleeding was over now. The wound would still remain, but at least he could have both his hands free to attack.

For what seemed like the millionth time now, the two bots looked at each other, sizing each other up. Sasuke was bleeding badly from the stabwound in his side and had difficulty breathing thanks to the wound in his chest. Added to that was the strain on his knees and ankles, the various bruises Naruto had given him with the usage of Shukuchi and exhaustion.

On the other side, Naruto could barely keep standing thanks to the rapid blood los, could barely move his left arm, couldn't place pressure on his left leg thanks to his calves being cut up, and he was pretty sure he had a broken nose. Fortunately, the nose was being healed as he spoke, though the feeling was not a pleasant one.

As they looked at each other, both knew: this was their one, final battle. And they only had mere seconds to finish it now, before their injuries finished the fight for them,

* * *

Unfortunately, this chapter is not yet beta'd. If it does get a beta I will replace it with the corrected version.

Please let me know what you thought in a review.


	49. Chapter 49

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it, just borrowing it for some fun.

* * *

Standing across from each other, with precious little space in between them, Naruto and Sasuke were still breathing fast and hard while glaring. The puddles of blood at their feet were rapidly expanding, Naruto's growing faster than Sasuke's, but it bode ill for both ninja.

Despite the difference in the growth of those puddles, it was more likely that Sasuke would bleed to death first, due to Naruto's healing and the fact that Sasuke was quickly losing dark blood, much richer in oxygen, almost directly from his liver.

However, neither teen was considering letting blood loss finish this fight, instead their minds were already racing, planning the next exchange they would have and how to emerge victoriously, while also fighting to stay conscious and suppress the pain.

Naruto forced himself to breath deep and slow on every breath, just as he had been taught by Instructor Zin, the Monk's combat instructor on the Southern Continent. Of course, Sword-Master Lan and Hideyashu-Sensei had taught him much the same; regain as much oxygen as you can when you have rest, because in a fight you don't have time to breath.

On the other side, Sasuke attempted much the same, though he could hardly inhale or exhale thanks to his stabbed long. But the adrenaline that both Sasuke and Naruto had running through their system was enough to keep them going, at least for now.

Naruto made his first order of business to determine his own injuries then Sasuke's and then think up his plan. On the other end, Sasuke's mind followed the same line of thought.

Sasuke's main injuries were the two stab-wounds that Naruto had inflicted; one on his liver and another in his left long, both critical injuries that had altered the fight in Naruto's favor. The other injuries he had were mostly bruises and perhaps a cracked, but not broken, rib. Naruto wasn't sure on that last one.

Naruto's injuries were far more obvious, superficial and – altogether – less dangerous. For the most part he had small cuts, bruises and burns all over his body. The burns were rapidly being healed just as the bruises. The cuts, inflicted by Sasuke's lightning-charged sword, were not healing and kept bleeding. Fortunately for Naruto, his healing also recovered his blood supply a bit. Not enough to stop him from bleeding to death, but enough to make him last longer then the average human.

It was the injuries on his left shoulder – a cut running clean through it – and on his abdomen that were the dangers though. Sasuke's last attack had burned both closed, but the barrier was thin. A single strike there, or too rough a movement, and Naruto would rip them open. The mobility of his left arm was reduced to close to nothing and Naruto also had to be careful while moving to literally keep his guts inside him.

Both had quickly sorted this information out, but they still needed more time to plan ahead; the pain and struggle for consciousness slowed their thoughts, which was lethal. While still thinking, Sasuke formed three seals with his hands, activating a low-level fire technique. A miniature ball of flame, bright blue in appearance but hardly bigger then the fire of a match, burned above his right middle-finger.

With a grimace and a barely suppressed yell of pain, Sasuke pushed that finger into the wound at his side, flame and all. Instantly Sasuke became aware of a pain unlike any other he had ever felt as he literally burned his insides, but his plan worked; the wounds had burned close, stopping the bleeding for the moment. No doubt Kabuto would not be pleased with this, but it would keep Sasuke in the fight a few minutes longer and that might prove critical.

"Did you already lose all hope eh?" Naruto mocked, though his serious eyes didn't match his fake-cheery tone, "Realized you can't possibly win against me and now trying to do your self in instead."

"In… your… dreams…" Sasuke forced out, talking made difficult by his inability to breathe properly. "Jerk-off."

As before, both had fallen into an old, but reliable, way of buying time and maybe letting their opponent lose their cool, though that was unlikely; exchanging insults.

"In my dreams…" Naruto started, his talking also slowed by blood los, "you're already on your knees… kissing my feet and begging for forgiveness, you cocky piss-face."

"Shut up, you Dead-Last."

"Not any more I'm not, you damn bastard."

"Idiot."

"Stuck up jerk."

As the insults kept going back and forth, however, the venom in the words was quickly lost. At the last exchange of words, both boys actually lost their stoic expression, both their mouths breaking out in grins, just before the again pushed off and launched themselves against one another.

XxX

Although Naruto and Sasuke were on the far end of the arena and the acoustics of the place didn't work well enough to hear what was being said, Izayoi could still get a general idea. As a Jinchuuriki, she was blessed with enhanced senses – in particular, sharp eyesight – and she could read the lips of both teenage ninja as well as see their facial expression.

She was still locked between the two groups of Konoha ninja but paid them little attention; if they had had orders to attack her they would have done so already. Instead, she focused on the fight, but the more she saw of it, the less she understood.

"What's wrong?" The green-clad boy – Lee if she remembered correctly – asked, still standing at her side. The boy had come close in some sort of friendly gesture and stayed near her side since then.

"Why do they look like that?" She asked, the confusion now quite obvious in her voice. The change made her stop, wondering if the voice was really hers; she had never before let anything slip into her voice, it was always a pure monotone.

"I can't see them from here, Izayoi-san." Lee said, his voice a sharp contrast to hers; it was friendly, warm and heated with emotion. "What do they look like?"

"They are enemies. They are trying to kill one another, as shinobi always do. But, while they try to kill each other, they now have a facial expression that does not belong in a fight between opponents. From what I have come to understand through observation, those facial expressions are often exchanged between two friends who are enjoying a joke together."

After she spoke the green-clad boy fell silent, looking at the duo on the other side of the arena with half-closed eyes, as if trying to lengthen his sight. While he was still staring to the other side of the arena, the pink-haired girl – Sakura, one of the Hokage's personal assistants and students – slowly walked closer. She was unsteady on her feet, as if she was too exhausted, or maybe had had too much to drink.

Using one hand to support herself on the wall, the other flashed through three or four signals – not seals, something else – and the other Konoha ninja all stood up out of their stances. The Inuzuka boy – recognizable by the larger-then-life dog at his side – took off his wolf-head hood as well.

"You're wondering about why those two can act like that, right? Why don't I tell you a little bit about them, maybe then you'll understand." Sakura said as she came to stand right next to Izayoi. "Since they enrolled in the academy, Naruto and Sasuke always had bad blood between them. If one said right, the other would say left just because of who said it. Of course, back then, Sasuke was the best in the class and Naruto was just the worst loser, so no-one paid any attention to him."

A smile spread on her face, Izayoi noticed, as she told the story. She must have been more then just amused by these two then. But how far did that relationship go? Friends, or maybe more?

"That changed when we got assigned to a team; me, Sasuke and Naruto, all in one team. You can imagine how that went… for the first few weeks, we had a couple of fights each day, with Naruto always trying to one-up Sasuke. But that changed after we got our first serious mission. Something changed inside those two; they still argued with each other at every change they got, but… there was a certain respect between them now. That kept growing over time, until they could suddenly understand each other without words."

So, teammates then. But… maybe something more? Izayoi wasn't certain, but as Sakura spoke that smile changed, it turned… sadder was the only word, though Izayoi didn't really understand the concept of sadness.

"Before long, they could work together as the best team I had ever heard of, despite all their arguing with each other. Although neither one would ever admit it, they were best friends. I've seen both of them go through hell for each other, risk their lives just to try and save one another."

An odd story; why would someone risk their lives for someone else? Unless ordered to protect that person's life, but that would become meaningless if the order was applied to both parties.

"But then Sasuke-kun left. He went over to Orochimaru and Naruto tried to get him back, but was defeated. They're meeting again for the first time in years. So, they've fallen back into their old routine."

'He's Sasuke-kun all of a sudden?' Izayoi thought, her training slipping through her confusion. 'So, it's Sasuke who she has more feelings for.'

"So, they're back to being hostile to each other… but they're really best friends underneath that facade of hatred and hostility."

XxX

The clash the two now had was unlike any other before; instead of performing an impressive display of combat skills, both Naruto and Sasuke simply ran into each other, Naruto using his right arm to push Sasuke's sword aside. The sword, in Sasuke's left hand, was held well away from their crashing bodies, but Sasuke managed to raise his arm a little bit, locking Naruto's elbow with his own; in effect, both of their strongest hands had been negated and removed from the fight.

But that matter little; as they had been standing atop the arena, the two boys entered a freefall as soon as they crashed together, spinning wildly in the air. Punches flew with vigor, but both only had one hand with which to both attack and defend. No exchange of attack and defend either; the two were exchanging one punch for another, trying to maneuver the other underneath them to suffer the pain of landing.

With one final maneuver, Sasuke punched Naruto in the jaw and pulled up his knee an instant before the two crashed to the ground. Upon landing, the two almost literally bounced away from each other and continued rolling before they could stabilize themselves. Both now lay on the ground, again struggling to remain conscious and suffering from more pain and injuries then before.

As he tried to turn around to his belly in an effort to get back on his feet, Naruto painfully learned that he had several broken ribs on his left side; Sasuke's knee had done it's job upon their landing. On the other side, Sasuke was on hands and knees and also in obvious pain. He had not escaped unscathed from the landing; placing his right knee on Naruto's chest had nearly broken the joint. He was no medic, but from what he was feeling, Sasuke was pretty sure that his patella was at the least cracked, if not already broken in two.

With grunts of both pain and effort, the two finally got back on their feet. Sasuke took a defensive stance, placing most of his weight on his left leg, while Naruto leaned forward in offense, his left arm limply by his side, but his right ready for action. Slowly, step for careful step, Naruto and Sasuke closed the distance.

Sasuke had his sword raised high, ready for a quick forward slash, but Naruto was ready. Focusing his mind as best he could under the circumstances, Naruto used the old trick Kisame had taught him; he kept one eye on Sasuke's left wrist, and the other on the rest of Sasuke's body. The path of the sword was revealed as soon as Sasuke started his movement. Making a half-step to his right side to evade while attacking, Naruto struck Sasuke clear in the chest while evading the sword strike.

In the same movement, Naruto grabbed the sword and pulled it from Sasuke's hands. In retaliation, Sasuke struck Naruto in the chest as well, only barely missing the already broken ribs on Naruto's left side. His objective of disarming Sasuke accomplished, Naruto jumped back as far as he could. Normally that would have covered almost half the arena, but now that was little more then four meters.

Holding the sword in his hand, Naruto summoned up the Kyuubi's chakra and guided it into the sword. For a few seconds there was a struggle within the blade as it grew a pale green, blue and red in succession, but after the small lightshow, the Kyuubi's chakra had negated and destroyed the chakra that was already in the weapon. It now gave of a slightly menacing red glow.

With a battle cry, Naruto rushed forward, sword ready to stab through Sasuke's heart. Sasuke however, didn't lose his cool or try to launch a technique he didn't have the chakra for. Instead, he reached behind him and pulled on the large purple rope that was attached to the back of his outfit, the same as that worn by Orochimaru and every other Sound Ninja.

In a fluid motion, Sasuke pulled on one end, undoing the knot, and swung forward with the end of the rope. With a surprising speed, the other end of the rope shot forward and struck Naruto on the hand. The force of the impact was far more then Naruto had expected, sending the sword flying from his hand and nearly making him fall on the ground as well.

Jumping back again, Naruto barely evaded a strike from the end of the rope; it functioned as some sort of a whip, with the end that was used to strike being heavy-weighted. Nothing to slow Sasuke down too much, but a half kilogram weight was still plenty to break bones upon impact.

Pulling the rope back as soon as it had landed, Sasuke threw the other end forward, forcing Naruto to jump the side again. Catching the first end, he continued his assault from this mid-range. It was too far for Naruto to attack safely, and too close for him to try anything dangerous like his summoning technique, or the few seconds of time he needed to draw upon the Red Chakra.

However, Sasuke barely had to move. As he attacked Naruto with the rope-whip, he focused an effort on recovering as much as he could.

XxX

"COME ON NARUTO-NII-CHAN!" Konohamaru yelled, nearly throwing himself off the railing in his cheering. At his side, Hanabi was holding the railing with a crushing grip as Naruto had to keep moving to avoid getting hit. Her Byakugan was active, though it was obviously straining her; the girl was covered in sweat.

The two young ninja's had been cheering for Naruto since the start of the fight, Konohamaru doing his best attempt to overrule the other yells from the crowd, Hanabi giving some almost-silent mutters about how he has to win, has to keep on trying.

"Come on, Naruto-nii-chan!" Konohamaru repeated himself. "Don't worry about that thing so much; it's almost the same as my staff when I swing the weights around!"

Standing at the side, leaning against a pillar, Jiraiya was amused that for once, the boy had made an accurate analyses of the fight. However, the skill with which Sasuke was wielding his rope was a major difference from Konohamaru's usage of his staff. Still the fight was actually getting the least of his attention; he was only watching it with one eye.

Naruto was putting up one of the best fights Jiraiya had ever seen him in, but Sasuke was equally skilled. There was nothing he could do to interfere, not without damning Konoha, so he watched but did nothing else.

Instead, he was keeping a closer eye on the Village Leader Box, atop the stadium. Tsunade would keep her cool, but it was the others that he was worried about. Not only Orochimaru was a problem, but the loyalties of the other four Kage's was still not certain. Even Gaara, who had been more then willing to make an open allegiance with Konoha, no doubt had a personal agenda. Being an ally meant very, very little in the Shinobi World.

Some distance back, still in her seat, Hinata was also performing a close observation of the area with her Byakugan. With it, she could see the small signs in Jiraiya's posture that he was nervous and concerned, but nothing showed to the outer world. Unlike Hanabi, Hinata kept her Byakugan on all the time, at least until Neji would return. She had been forced by both her cousin – who had the authority to order her to hold her ground, as her bodyguard – and Kiba when everyone suddenly left. Fortunately, she saw that they had not ended up in a fight. Tenten sat at her side, her eyes glued to the fight.

But even while she was trying to keep an eye on everything that was going on, her attention kept being drawn back to Naruto's fight. Not only was it Naruto, her life-long crush, that was fighting, but the fight itself was nothing short of extremely impressive.

XxX

Irritated, Naruto wiped the small stream of blood that was running from his forehead away. So far, he had managed to avoid taking real damage from Sasuke's rope-whip, but he had not escaped completely unscathed. A small wound on his scalp was bleeding and would sometimes hinder his sight, but the worst was the blow he had taken on his right side; his ribs there were now more then likely also cracked, only barely unbroken.

'That thing is dangerous.' Naruto had long since concluded, "As long as he has that, I won't be able to get close enough to do anything to him. I have to get rid of it.'

Unfortunately, the same trick he used when fighting swords or other inflexible weapons wouldn't work; a whip could change direction mid-swing with the greatest of ease, making it a dangerous and unpredictable weapon. Sasuke again threw the weapon, this time in as straight a line as possible, and Naruto made his move.

Leaning to the side, the blond evaded the strike and before Sasuke could twist the rope and try and attack him from behind, Naruto grabbed it and pulled. The pull was strong enough to throw Sasuke off-balance, since he was careful not to put too much weight on his right leg. He still held on to the other end of the rope, which had pulled him off-balance, but Naruto quickly let go; there was no way to know that Sasuke wouldn't be able to use his Chidori Current through the rope as well and that was a blow he couldn't risk right now.

Before Sasuke could recover, Naruto was already running forward, creating and throwing Wind Shuriken with his right hand as fast as he could, the chakra blades easily cutting through the ropes until Sasuke's newest weapon was completely ruined. In mere seconds he had closed the distance to Sasuke, who was still off-balance. Seeing Naruto closing in, the Uchiha did the only thing he could do from that position.

Pushing off with his left, he spun himself around in the air, managing to hang in an almost perfect horizontal position the moment Naruto stepped in. their strikes hit each other at the same time; Naruto's full-force, chakra-enhanced, locked-by-the-hips right uppercut struck Sasuke in the chest at the same time that his two fists, the second and third finger edged slightly forward compared to the rest, struck Naruto's sides.

Both obtained their objective; Naruto's punch send Sasuke flying hard, fast and far, while Sasuke's punches broke Naruto's cracked ribs and send those already broken moving inside his body. At least one of his left ribs immediately pierced Naruto's lung, robbing him of precious air and making blood suddenly fill up his airway until Naruto had to spit it out. Leaning over to guide the blood out – on the edge of throwing up because of it – Naruto saw the explosive tag underneath the sand.

It exploded in that instant, sending sand, blood and mud flying everywhere. Before the sand even reached it's zenith, Naruto appeared on top of the arena's walls; he had used Shukuchi to evade the explosion, but even so he had a small burn on his back. His eyes quickly scanned the arena, looking for Sasuke…

And found him on the opposite wall; after Naruto's punch to the chest he had flown halfway up the walls and from there maneuvered himself to the top in an effort to minimize the impact. Without the rope, his jacket had become undone and it was clear that Naruto's punch had also left it's effect: a clear bruise was forming on Sasuke's chest and at least one rib was now positioned at a most unnatural angle, almost piercing through his skin.

As their eyes locked, both Naruto and Sasuke came to a realization; even after their most recent exchange, they were still in a tie, just more injured then before. Their broken ribs made it nearly impossible to move their arms and their pierced lungs ensured they were not regaining enough oxygen. Neither had the strength or the tricks left for another exchange now. As that realization dawned upon them, the two suddenly gave each other a nod, before crouching down.

"So, it came to this after all..." Naruto said, his voice low, heavy and clearly exhausted. Around him, the flame of Red Chakra was formed again as his features began to morph. Sasuke didn't say anything in return as his skin was darkened and the demon wings sprouted from his back once more. As soon as the transformation was complete, Sasuke performed a quick series of seals and grabbed his left wrist.

On the other side, Naruto had also finished his transformation into his Optimal Battle Form, his hair taking a slightly red-ish tint as he focused as much chakra as possible into his right hand.

As both focused more and more chakra into their hands, their effort became obvious; Sasuke was now holding a large stream of dark lightning bolts, while Naruto's chakra morphed and transformed into a larger-then-life fox's head.

Again their eyes locked as both Naruto and Sasuke started hopping from one leg to another in preparation of using Shukuchi. Sasuke didn't care about the strain his knees would take this once, there would be nothing after this one strike and he could not afford Naruto the advantage of striking first. Both disappeared at the same moment…

And in almost the same instant, they reappeared in the centre of the arena, their hands nearly touching before a massive explosion robbed everyone of their sight. This explosion was unlike any that had yet been made in the exam; the sphere of the explosion devoured the entire arena before it erupted upward, burning so intense that the stone walls around the arena started to melt, the sand and ashes blown so high and far it was impossible to see them fall.

And almost as quickly as the blinding, scorching-hot explosion of white, red and black had been formed, it faded, leaving nothing but a bare arena, all it's former glory lost in the onslaught of the blast; walls had half-melted, the area filled with trees at the side was empty except for burns and the small pool of water next to it had completely evaporated.

In the centre, in the middle of a crater almost as deep as the walls were high, the figures of Naruto and Sasuke could barely be seen. They were the only figures yet remaining after the explosion, thanks to their own abilities. Naruto had protected himself with a wall of the Kyuubi's chakra, but even that had not been completely sufficient, while Sasuke had protected himself with the hardened skin and steel-like wings of his transformed state, but it had only barely been sufficient.

Neither was standing, or sitting, or kneeling, but something in between the three; both Naruto and Sasuke were on their knees, leaning chest to chest with each other. The explosion had burned away their clothes, leaving both completely naked, but that was hardly recognizable against their injuries.

Both were covered in intense burns, but like the clothes, those were almost dismissible compared to their biggest, newest injuries yet. Naruto's right arm and Sasuke's left were both clearly damaged beyond anything anyone had ever seen.

Naruto's right was missing almost all the skin and muscles on the palm's side of his arm, with the wounds already burned close, but some pieces of bone still showing. Sasuke's left arm was twisted, turned and otherwise maneuvered into unnatural positioned more times then could be counter, every bone in his arm clearly broken, shattered and turned to dust with the impact.

They also both had their arms sagging in their socket, both clearly suffering from a broken and most probably shattered shoulder. As they sat in their nearly-kneeling position, leaning against each other's chest, they had their heads resting on each other's shoulders.

Even in this, they didn't get an advantage; Naruto was leaning on Sasuke's near-shattered broken left shoulder, but Naruto's left shoulder was also hurt and the weight of Sasuke leaning on it pulled at Naruto's ribs.

As they sat there, the curse seal started to withdraw from Sasuke, his wings already gone before the explosion died out, but now his skin and eyes were returning to their normal color as well. On the other end, Naruto was still covered in the glow of Red Chakra, though his facial features had returned to normal.

For seconds that seemed to last for an eternity the two sat there, leaning against each other and fighting unconsciousness, but finally it was Sasuke who passed out first, sliding down from Naruto and falling on his side in the sand. As soon as he moved, it became apparent that Naruto had done more then simply leaning; three fingers of his left hand had been stabbed deep into the wound at Sasuke's side, reopening it where he had burned it close only minutes before. The bleeding was more severe then before and combined with all the blood the young Uchiha had already lost, it made him pass out from blood loss almost immediately.

Now without his own support to keep him up, Naruto was risking also falling, but could barely readjust his weight. Instead of falling down, he managed to sit on his haunches, still struggling to remain conscious, but already being filled with a sense of euphoria.

He had finally done it.

He had defeated Sasuke.

XxX

From where they were standing, Sakura's group had only barely managed to avoid being burned by the explosion. Izayoi had formed a small shield of ice that protected her from the heat, but it had been the combined efforts of Shino, Shikamaru and Neji that the others had been protected. A barrier formed of Neji's chakra – an alternate form of the Kaiten as he had once explained – combined with Shino's bugs as a physical barrier and supported by many of Shikamaru's Shadow Spikes had saved them from being burned, though it did little good to the walls.

The walls and glass through which they had been watching had all melted, giving a clear and unobstructed view of the arena. They could see Sasuke and Naruto sitting there, both terribly injured. Sakura and Ino both gave a gasp, realizing that this extent of injury would not next-to-impossible to heal.

When Sasuke slid down and fell on the ground, with Naruto still sitting and thus the winner, Kiba, Lee, Chouji, Ino and Sakura had all let out energetic cheers, with Shikamaru, Neji and Shino celebrating on their own – a nod, a rare smile and an almost invisible turning of the corners of his mouth – until they saw what happened next.

Outrage immediately flashed over every male's face and before Sakura could react, they had all jumped forward, immediately dashing into the arena.

XxX

In the crowd, Jiraiya had gladly joined Konohamaru and Hanabi in cheering and fist pumping to celebrate Naruto's victory, the three of them moving in synchronization while pushing their right fist into the air and yelling 'Naruto! Naruto!' Throughout the crowd, it was repeated many times over; Naruto's name being cheered with vigor, although many of the inhabitants of the Stone Village still called him Tempest.

It hadn't surprised Jiraiya in the slightest, since that was the name they had known him under while he was secretly training here. It had been Naruto's alias for nearly three years while they traveled.

But Jiraiya's celebrations came to an immediate end when he saw a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye. Before anyone could realize it, the old man had completely disappeared, already halfway to the bottom of the arena.

A short distance behind them, Hinata gave a start, alerting Tenten that something was wrong. A half-second after Jiraiya, they too had disappeared from theirs seats to rush down into the arena.

XxX

Up in the Village Leader Box, Tsunade saw Orochimaru flinch from the corner of her eye as Sasuke fell down. Before she even had time to turn her head, Orochimaru had shot forward out of his seat, too fast for anyone but a Kage-level ninja to follow. The maneuver had been too fast and too unexpected for anyone to act in time, so by the time that Tsunade, Gaara and the other Kages were up from their seats, Orochimaru was already halfway through the arena, Kusanagi already extended from his mouth.

Naruto, still sitting on his haunches and obviously too delirious and exhausted too react, was stabbed by Orochimaru's sword, piercing his chest. Before it had a chance to go all the way through, though, something grabbed the weapon and held it at bay. Jiraiya, still in mid-jump, had used a partial summoning technique to call forth a Toad's tongue and used it to hold Kusanagi from piercing Naruto completely.

Tsunade was only an instant behind her two teammates, fist loaded with Chakra and ready to crush Orochimaru's skull, if he hadn't jumped aside at that moment. It had worked, however; instead of running Naruto through, Orochimaru had merely stabbed the boy, which was far less fatal; Orochimaru's strike had been aimed at severing the nerves of the boy's spine, a far more certain way to kill then simply stabbing the heart.

As soon as he landed, Orochimaru tried to dash forward, willing to use that last second before Jiraiya and Tsunade landed to cut the boy's throat, but found he was unable too; he couldn't move.

A glance down – his head was also unable to move – told Orochimaru the cause: his shadow was now linked to the Nara boy's, preventing him from moving. At the boy's side, many other Konoha ninja, all around Naruto's age jumped down. He recognized many of them from the events at the Chuunin Exams three years prior.

They stood on one side of him, having frozen him in place, while at the other end Tsunade and Jiraiya had landed, with support from two teenage girls, both also from Konoha. Locked in place, Orochimaru had been caught in between ten Konoha ninja, two of Kage level, at least one of Jounin level and the others all at least Chuunin level.

Even for him, this was bad news.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Thanks to my beta for going over this chapter Kushin eX and correcting any mistakes I've made.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think.


	50. Chapter 50

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it, just borrowing it for some fun.

* * *

Acting as quick as he possible, Orochimaru made the only maneuver he could to break free of the Shadow Bind Technique that Shikamaru was holding him in. Only a maneuver that would be anatomically impossible for the user could escape the technique, so Orochimaru allowed the snake in his mouth to shoot forward, stabbing the ground with Kusanagi and making it explode from the force.

The shadow binding him to the boy now disrupted, Orochimaru jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding an attack from Jiraiya, aimed at his back. At the other side of the arena, in the middle of the group of teenagers from Konoha, Shizune landed and immediately started giving commands. Almost as soon as she spoke, the large group broke off into duos, each taking a different position.

Orochimaru quickly jumped up to avoid a horizontal rain of thin white needles, before he had a chance to consider his best chance of breaking through this group. In the air, however, the leader of the Sound Village was immediately beset by Lee and Neji. The Gai look-a-like still had his leg-weights on, but they added a significant power to each of his kicks, while the fabled Hyuuga genius struck from the other side, preventing Orochimaru from using both his hands against a single target. Withdrawing the snake closer, Orochimaru used it to swing his sword around.

Both managed to defend, either by a barrier of chakra or a piece of metal integrated into clothing, but without footing they were still sent flying away from the Snake Sannin. They were skilled, true, but they were still only children compared to the legendary ninja. As soon as Orochimaru's feet landed on the ground though, Jiraiya was in front of him, locking the white-skinned man in place.

With almost no delay in timing, two fast swirls moved around the Toad Sage, moving to flank Orochimaru and stab into his sides. This position forced Orochimaru to jump back in order to avoid Kiba's Dual Piercing Fang, yet before he could even land and launch a counter-attack, a massive fist slammed into him from the side, sending him flying.

While Orochimaru was still flying across the arena, Chouji quickly dispelled his Partial Multi-Size technique and fell to the floor, clutching his arm in pain before promptly passing out. Even in the miniscule instance that the Akimichi had touched Orochimaru; a powerful venom had been injected directly into his bloodstream.

One down, a lot more to go.

XxX

Before any of the people in the booth fully regained their wits after Orochimaru's sudden move, Kabuto's hands were already flashing through seals. When the first few attendants turned around to confront him, the bespectacled man quickly disappeared with a teleportation technique, ready to join his master.

As soon as he arrived, Kabuto dashed forward and kicked Nara Shikamaru in the head, immediately disabling him. His ability was by far the most dangerous right now, allowing a free hit from someone like Jiraiya. And that was nothing short of lethal. Looking around for his next target, the medic noticed that both Shizune and Tsunade had withdrawn from direct combat themselves; the two medics were attending to Naruto and Sasuke, desperately trying to keep them alive.

Before Kabuto could do more then notice though, he had to quickly sidestep a punch from Hyuuga Hinata at his side. Almost immediately she followed up with another punch, then another and then some kicks. He remembered her as a timid girl, high-born and possessing powerful techniques, but never too able to fight.

This was nothing like what he had remembered of her. Using her smaller size to her advantage, Hinata kept stepping in close, launching small, compact attacks that Kabuto could barely evade or deflect. Blocking was not an option when facing Jyuuken. Even as he was evading the Hyuuga's barrage, Kabuto noticed a sudden tingle up his legs, starting at his feet.

Casting a quick glance down, Kabuto saw the cause of the tingle; a multitude of Destruction Bugs were climbing up his leg, several already boring in to drain his chakra. Grabbing both of Hinata's hands to stop her assault; Kabuto forced out a wave of chakra, sending the bugs flying. Unfortunately, this left him unable to use his Chakra Scalpels, so Hinata's wrists remained intact. That was next on the list.

Before he could activate his trademark technique, two projectiles shot at him from behind Hinata, angling around the girl and straight at his vitals. Releasing the young Hyuuga heiress, Kabuto jumped back, but one of the projectiles – a boomerang with a bladed edge – changed direction to go after him, the other returning to it's owner. Some distance behind Hinata, Tenten stood alert, her weapon summoning scroll unrolled in one hand.

Hinata immediately charged at Kabuto again, while Tenten started launching several weapons, one after the other, to prevent any form of counterattack. The swarm of dragonflies that came after the weapons was sloppy in comparison, the bugs flying without a clear purpose or coordination.

Ducking underneath one of Hinata's kicks, Kabuto quickly tapped her leg, severing her hamstring, and risked another glance. Shino had backed away, now standing in between Naruto and Sasuke, covering them in a multitude of ants. This was an emergency tactic that Kabuto had seen before; the Aburame was using the special wax that his rare species of ants formed to cover most of the wounds that the two had suffered. It wouldn't work near as well as actual healing, but as an emergency bandage it was surprisingly effective; it kept the blood inside the subject and the bacteria and viruses out.

Again Kabuto had to dodge underneath one of Tenten's thrown weapons, while Hinata quickly picked herself up. She could not place any weight on her left leg, thanks to her severed hamstring, but that didn't mean she would just give up.

That was perhaps the most stupid – and final – decision that the girl would make in her life.

XxX

Seeing that his aide had joined the battle as well, Orochimaru quickly jumped out of the indention that he had made on the wall after being hit by the Akimichi, but almost immediately Lee and Neji were upon him once again. With a barrage of combined Taijutsu that could only come from hours if not years of training together, the two launched attack after attack. Neji was there first, but as soon as he had punched once, Lee moved in from the side, forcing the Snake Sannin to step back or risk getting a broken bone. Keeping this up, the two effectively prevented the more experienced ninja from getting a counterattack in.

Dodging and parrying strikes faster then the two boys could launch them, Orochimaru finally forced an opening; taking a small hit on his arm, closing two tenketsu along the way, the legendary ninja managed to grab both boys by their limbs and hurl them away. Before he had even finished his motion, however, the ground below him exploded as Kiba drilled up from underneath. The Piercing Fang managed to slash open Orochimaru's feet before Kusanagi shot from his mouth once again.

As soon as the fabled blade touched Kiba's attack, the boy stopped cold-turkey, his wolf-like hood the only thing that had saved him from drilling the sword through his own head. Instead, it had barely been deflected causing severe bleeding on the boys head, cut open deep enough to show bone. Yet at the same time that Kusanagi did it's nearly-fatal damage to the young Dog Ninja, Jiraiya had appeared behind his old teammate and stabbed two oddly, hollow, kunai into his shoulders.

Unable to stop himself, Orochimaru howled as poison entered his body, a foreign poison that immediately started numbing his senses, even as his arms were still burning with pain. A howl from above warned the Snake Sannin that Akamaru was above him, striking with another drill, but for once he was unable to counterattack. Before the attack was anywhere near close enough, though, Kabuto jumped and struck the attack form the side, sending the super-sized dog flying with severe injuries in it's side.

Landing behind his master's assailant, Kabuto tried to attack Jiraiya, but the white-haired man was already gone, the two poisoned blades still embedded into Orochimaru's shoulders. Opening his mouth wide, Orochimaru used his own regeneration technique. Barfing up himself, again, the former husk of Orochimaru, still with the blades in the shoulders, fell to the ground. The now regenerated Orochimaru stood up, looking around.

The group of Konoha shinobi was closing in around them, ready for the kill. Despite the burning of the poison in his system – it had remained after his recovery – Orochimaru forced himself to smile at the children before him.

XxX

Up in the Kage's box, everyone present was watching the event and considering. Their thoughts were clear to all, though they still masked their faces perfectly. Should they interfere or not? True, Orochimaru was a dangerous man, powerful and famous enough to topple governments on his own, a threat to most villages should he remain alive.

But, the man had never had eyes on anyone other then Konoha as an enemy. So, the four remaining Kages were still thinking. Orochimaru was a potential threat, but so was Konoha, and the Snake Ninja could be useful in eliminating some of Konoha's stronger ninjas. He had already managed to diminish Konoha's power to just barely staying strong enough to be called one of the Great Five.

True, oaths that even shinobi could not ignore had been sworn for the match between the two boys, but they had not been broken. The agreement had said that no-one would be allowed to interfere so long as the match went on, but the rules of the match stated that a victor would be decided as soon as the opponent could no longer keep fighting. And by that rule, Naruto had clearly been a victor, before Orochimaru had intervened. Technically, Orochimaru had not broken the rules, and each of the kages was frantically considering what position to take.

"Temari, Kankuro, get ready to enter the battle." Gaara finally ordered as he stood up, the first to openly speak since Kabuto had vanished from the box. "We're going down there to help them."

While his brother and sister, acting as his aids, picked up their weapons, Gaara turned towards the other kages.

"No less then an hour ago, we publically declared that all of the Five Great Villages were allied, more openly then ever before. If we do not uphold that alliance now, how much will we smear the image of shinobi with the public? For this, if nothing else, we must assist Konoha now."

Without turning around, Gaara disintegrated into sand, almost immediately reappearing in the arena. Kankuro and Temari were already jumping down as well.

"He has the right of it." The Raikage said, slowly rising from his seat. The other kages all stood up as well. Gaara – no, the Kazekage – had been right; after publically declaring them allies, it would not do to abandon Konoha in this battle. The impact on the shinobi world in the long term would be terrible. Becoming murderers and assassins paled in comparison to the grand glory of being a ninja in the public's eye, since those dark tales were rarely revealed. But if they proved themselves oath breakers now… no mother would send her child to the ninja academy in the next decade.

Along with their respective village leaders, all of their assistants stood up as well, ready to fight. Not wasting any more time, the three remaining kages and their greatest ninja jumped down to join the battle.

XxX

While Orochimaru was barfing up a new form, with intact arms and feet, Kabuto turned around, trying to overlook the area. Without warning, the ground disappeared from under their feet, transformed into a miniature swamp, devouring them up to their waist. A small distance away, Jiraiya stood with his hands on the ground, chakra still flowing into the ground.

Once again Lee charged forward, but stuck to his middle in the dense mud, completely immobilizing his legs, Orochimaru was still not without his resources. Opening his mouth, Kusanagi shot forward again, too fast for the green-clad youth to evade; the blade easily pierced through Lee's leg and all the protection he had build around it, causing him to stumble and cry out in pain.

On the other side, Neji came closer to the fight, but well before he was within reach of any sort of physical attack, the Hyuuga prodigy stopped his rush forward and made a palm-thrust.

"Eight Trigram: Empty Palm!" Neji announced, at the same time that an invisible force blew Kabuto back, almost out of the swamp. From the way his aide was grabbing for his chest, Orochimaru knew that the attack had pierced one of his lungs, possible more.

While he was still trying to get out of the swamp, Orochimaru saw the sudden arrival of the four other kages and their aids. Within seconds of each other, they had entered the arena, all looking ready to fight. The Raikage was even already going through seals to use his Earth Elemental techniques!

'Bah, even I can't face odds like these.' Orochimaru sourly admitted. 'I have to leave, for now. I'll kill the Uzumaki brat later.' Instead of struggling against the technique that was holding him, Orochimaru instead started to focus his chakra to envelop his body, the first preparation to his escape technique.

Just as the Raikage finished his seals for an Earth technique and the Mizukage could do no more than summon the six swords she would wield, someone jumped up out of the crowd surrounding the arena. Although her hair was black and straight now, Orochimaru still recognized Karin, her hands already going through seals.

The others all followed his line of sight, seeing the shadow on the ground, and as soon as they were looking, Karin struck. A specific genjutsu she had invented intensified all the light that was radiating behind her to a blinding level. Their eyes hit with the light of a thousand suns, almost every shinobi in the arena was immediately and shortly blinded.

Most of them immediately started to focus chakra into their eyes, speeding the recovery along, but even with those bare few seconds it cost for them to see again, they could only see the heads of Orochimaru and his two accomplishes remaining, slowly being engulfed by a light flame, as if they were made of paper.

"Orochimaru, you still hold three requests to the village of Konoha, as per your agreement, or you will face the full wrath of all five Great Nations." Gaara immediately said, but Orochimaru only chuckled at him.

"Don't play at being so Naïve, you know that it was clear that Naruto had won that match, therefore my interference was outside of the rules we had made. That was why you all waited so long to interfere and you know it. No, Konoha's request has already been made and before long it will be fulfilled."

A chuckle that sent chills down even the Raikage's spine was all that remained of Orochimaru's presence as even his head vanished.

XxX

A bright green glow gave an eerie feel to the large medical room just outside the stadium, shining so bright that the lamps were completely unnecessary. Lying in the middle of an extensive array of seals, Naruto's body was almost impossible to see through the light as Tsunade tried to keep him alive, aided by no less then five of the Rock's medical ninja. On the other side of the room, Shizune was performing a similar treatment on Sasuke, layers upon layers of seals pulsating like a heartbeat.

Shino, the only non-medic in the room, sat in between the two seals, eyes closed in focus. He was directing his ants through the seals, without having them touch the lines – a very difficult duty, considering the near blindness of his ants – and then slowly dissolve the wax barriers they had created themselves. The special breed of ants didn't interrupt the healing, their bodies not absorbing any of the chakra, but the task was incredibly complex to perform. Let alone do it to two subjects at once.

Maintaining the flow of healing chakra to support Naruto's bare vital functions until Shino was done, Tsunade spend her time giving orders to her squad.

"Don't bother with the arm yet, for now focus on his other injuries. First attend to the deep cut on his stomach, then the stab wound in his chest, followed by the broken ribs, pierced and collapsed lung and the injuries on the left shoulder. After those, we'll attend to his burn wounds and if it's still needed we'll see to the numerous smaller cuts he has."

A serious of nods answered her, the medical specialists too focused on pouring chakra into the seal. On the other side of the room, Shizune was giving similar instructions to her own team.

"Please pay attention, the primary focus will be the deep wound in the side, followed by left-side ribs. Afterwards, we'll attend to the right-side ribs, the severe burns and finally the left knee-joint."

A chorus of "Yes ma'am!" followed her orders. While waiting for Shino to finish his assignment, Shizune and Tsunade's eyes darted over to the other side of the room, where separate medics were attending the other Konoha ninja. Out of them, only Kiba and Chouji were in any real danger; Kusanagi hadn't been poisoned when it pierced Lee's leg and all the other injuries were far from life-threatening.

"Also, give me updates on the status of both Akimichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba." Tsunade barked at a medical trainee, a child no more then thirteen years old. "I want updates every five minutes, until their status stabilizes, understood?"

"Yes Hokage-sama, of course Hokage-sama!" the boy squeaked, nerves obvious. Tsunade didn't give him a second glance as she focused on keeping Naruto alive.

"It's done." Shino announced, quickly withdrawing his ants from the two bodies. Even before the insects had left the bodies, the glow around the two boys intensified as Shizune and Tsunade began actively healing them, rather then keeping them alive.

Standing some distance away, keeping a sharp eye for any irregularities or breaks of discipline to occur, the Chief Medic of the Rock Village was watching. He had been assigned to oversee the healing of the Chuunin Exams, normally a dull and boring job, but this had been more like the wars when he had been an active field agent.

"She's stubborn, that's for sure." He murmured to himself. He had already reached a conclusion about what would happen. With Tsunade's legendary skill in healing, she could more then likely save the lives of those two boys. But there was no way to save their arms, not with those injuries. Broken bones could be mended, injured muscle and skin spurred to regeneration, but this was beyond that. No known technique could recover bones that were grinded to dust, nor could anything re-grow the nerves and muscle tissue that had been lost.

"No matter what she does, those two will never be able to continue being a shinobi. Maybe it'd be better if they'd die now, leaving a legendary fight behind them, instead of a life of mediocrity. One way or another, their careers are over."

* * *

As always thanks to my beta Kushin eX for going over this chapter and correcting my mistakes.

Please leave a review telling me what you thought.


	51. Chapter 51

Disclaimer: I don't own the narutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

"Here, I've put some energizing herbs in, thought you could use a little boost. It won't help the taste of the tea though." Jiraiya handed the drink over to Tsunade as the Hokage sat down with a big sigh. She had just spent a little over four hours in a clean room, busy healing Naruto for over three and a half hours and using the remaining time to get an update on the other ninja that were being treated. It had been close, but they would all live.

"Thanks." Tsunade muttered, taking a large gulp of tea and immediately wishing she hadn't. The tea was still very hot. Even so, the blond took another sip almost immediately. "So, How'd you consider this exam went?"

"Overall, I'd say it's a huge success." Jiraiya said, sipping some tea himself. At least the man was compassionate enough not to start downing sake when Tsunade was not able to drink just yet. "We succeeded both on personal goals and the goals of our alliance with other villages. After everything he did in the finals alone, it'll be impossible for anyone in Konoha to deny that Naruto is at the least a Chuunin level ninja. His promotion is almost certain, but they might be able to throw his damaged arm in the argument to stop it. First we'll see how he's doing."

"I might actually agree with keeping Naruto back because of his arm." Tsunade's voice sounded exhausted, but even worse then that, she felt defeated. "It's very unlikely that he'll recover from the damage in any reasonable amount of time. But go on."

"The goal of the exams in general was luring out the Akatsuki, which definitely succeeded. In the end, the Raikage's assistant didn't even need to interfere. We managed to keep her abilities a secret for now, so on that front, everything is a massive success. We should even pat ourselves on the back for the fight with Orochimaru."

"Yeah, now that is something I considered as very impressive." Tsunade agreed, though she still sounded weary. The tea would take some time to give her the much-needed energy boost. "They're all nothing but a bunch of kids, rookies for all they really know of the world, but they managed to hold him off and even injure him without any casualties. Orochimaru is able to take down an entire enemy platoon by himself, but now he even had assistance from Kabuto – who's skill we can't ignore either – and the best they could do was escape."

"Better yet; the kids were doing well enough that I could take the few precious seconds I needed to prepare my poison, which is still running through his system now. So, overall, this has been a very successful exam for us." Now there was a satisfied grin on Jiraiya's face as he remembered Orochimaru's face when his favored weapon was being used against him. "And that's not even considering that we now have Uchiha Sasuke in captivity as well, ruining Orochimaru's plans for a body transfer."

"And the specifics? You said we accomplished our goals and that overall it was a success, but what'd you think of the specifics?" Now the white-haired man stood from his chair and started pacing, a sign that he was still having considerable doubts about this.

"I'm not sure. The strike that Akatsuki made was too obvious, too risky. Why would they risk attacking in so open a manner? Better yet, why'd those two stay to fight that long? It should have been obvious when we didn't interfere that it was a large trap, yet they remained to fight. And more then that, something was odd about the way Kakuzu behaved just before he was killed. I can't quite place my finger on it, but I've got a bad feeling about it."

"I know what you mean." Tsunade stood up as well, but she only moved to stand next to the window. "But there's little chance we'll find out anything about what happened, unless you've managed to get a spy in there lately. Did you?"

"No, whoever their leader is, he keeps a tight reign on his organization. No-one gets in without his personal approval, even if they never actually meet him. Anyone who tries and doesn't get approved is never heard of again. Simple, but effective. What're you going to do about Sasuke?"

Another sigh escaped Tsunade as she realized that her tea was already gone. She could use another cup right now.

"He'll go back to the village with us, for starters. Once there, we'll see how much he's willing to cooperate with us. He could be a potential wealth of information about Orochimaru and his actions. Not to mention that with him captive, we can have the Sharingan grow throughout the village once again. How long do you estimate you'll have before Orochimaru has fully recovered?"

"Sometime." Jiraiya said, also leaning against the window now, standing next to his old teammate. "I actually injected him with two venoms at once, that's why it took me so long to prepare. The first is the obvious one, a blood-venom that spreads fast, but works slowly. It will mess up his blood system's workings, making him physically weak for a time. The other is more subtle; a neurotoxin that takes time to find it's way to the nerves and then even longer to become effective. When it does, however, Orochimaru will find himself unable to suppress basic reflexes or properly control his motor functions. It won't become active until about two or three days after the blood venom's been removed. It's a sleeper agent, which is actually counteracted by the blood poison. Undetectable, until it activates. And when it does, it'll be spread all across his nervous system, even Kabuto won't be able to remove it in time for an assassination attempt."

"Ok, you've given us a perfect opportunity to strike." Tsunade wasn't sure if she should be happy or not. Orochimaru was one of Konoha's greatest enemies, there wasn't any doubt about that, but he was still her old teammate. "We'll leave for Konoha tomorrow-morning. I'll need you around to help keep an eye out for ambushes and the like, so you can't hurry on back. In Konoha, take two days to assemble an assassination team and move out to Orochimaru's base. I'll get a message to our agent inside his base to verify where he is and put you into contact with him. Your mission is above S-rank; assassinate Orochimaru."

XxX

The group of Konoha shinobi was making their way through the lands between the hidden Rock and Konoha remarkable swift, despite the charts they were dragging. Considering the wounded they would be taking with them, the Tsuchikage had provided two medium-sized carts to carry the wounded home. More than that, considering their fresh injuries, he had also provided the Hokage and her entourage an honor guard of five Jounins, to escort them until they reached their own nation's borders.

Although the borders to the Fire Nation were close by, Hinata was not feeling comfortable at all. She knew enough about the way ninja's did things to know that their honor guard could easily backstab them and kill most of their group. More than that, Hinata had to forcefully remind herself not to keep rubbing her neck every other minute.

She was walking besides the cart, forming the guard and observation of the wounded, along with Shino, Tenten, Konohamaru and Shikamaru. The task was simple, since both Naruto and Sasuke were kept drugged at all times to prevent their waking up and Kiba and Chouji were smart enough not to risk the wrath of the Hokage, or her apprentices. However, that only allowed her mind to dwell on how she had nearly died. Fighting Kabuto had been dangerous, she knew, but charging at him when she could barely stand on one of her legs had been plain idiocy.

Fortunately, she had been able to eject a barrier of chakra around her throat, similar to using the Kaiten only not projecting the chakra as far, when Kabuto struck, otherwise he would have immediately severed every connection in her neck. That would have been an instant death. Her improvised version of the Kaiten had saved her life, but even so Kabuto had struck with enough force to collapse half her windpipe. An injury that could kill her slowly and painfully, but it had taken only a second for a medic to heal.

The people on the carts weren't so lucky.

Chouji and Kiba had been ordered to lie completely still, since they were still severely weakened. Kiba had lost a lot of blood and only time, food and rest could restore it, while Chouji still had remnants of poison in his system, which could only be completely cleaned in Konoha's hospital. And those were light injuries compared to the other two…

Naruto and Sasuke were kept in a comatose state, so they didn't feel anything, but anyone who looked at the state of their arms couldn't help but wince. No medic in the world could restore damage that extensive.

'_What'll happen to Naruto-kun now?_' Hinata thought for the hundredth time, her eyes jumping over Naruto's features. He looked so tranquil, so at peace.

So unnatural.

Looking around, Hinata caught sight of her father looking at her. His face was, as always, stoic, but the only way to ever read Hyuuga Hiashi's emotions was through his eyes. And right now, he was showing encouragement to his oldest daughter. Having made eye contact, Hiashi stepped away from Hanabi and made his way over to Hinata.

"I see you're worried about him. I am too." The head of the Hyuuga clan admitted, though it was a simple statement. "But you should not forget that Naruto-san has done the impossible often enough before. Perhaps he will pleasantly surprise us once again."

Years back, Hiashi had been as many of the other villagers. He had no love for Naruto and for the most part found him an eyesore. That opinion had been as much from Naruto's behavior as from the secret he carried inside him. However, if there was something that Hiashi prided himself in, it was how he could change his opinions without being hampered by personal feelings. Once Naruto had shown he could be an exemplary shinobi, Hiashi had not been begrudged to change his opinion on the boy. Now, he considered him a very positive influence on his daughters and a respectable shinobi.

Hanabi, Hinata was shocked to notice, didn't say a word as she continued to walk alone. She had also been sneaking looks into the carts every five minutes or so, but the normally very vocal girl was surprisingly quiet. Yet, every time Hanabi's eyes glanced over Naruto, her eyes shone a little brighter with the fire of determination.

But there was one thing that was bothering the Hyuuga heir even more. Slowly her eyes drifted over to the front, where Lee and Neji were flanking their special guest. Every time Hinata saw Izayoi, she felt chills run down her spine. A chill that had nothing to do with the other kunochi's ice-controlling abilities.

Why on earth was that ice queen joining them in Konoha?

XxX

Within ten minutes of returning to Konoha, Tsunade and Jiraiya had found themselves in a meeting with the clan heads and political advisors of Konoha, not even having had the time to feel grateful for a completely uneventful trip. While traveling, Tsunade had send out the summons for the meeting and wrote down the mission report as well, so everything was ready when they entered the gate.

Naruto, Kiba, Chouji and Sasuke were immediately transported to the hospital, a squad of ANBU around them to keep guard, while the others were dismissed after entering the gate and Tsunade had suggested they get some R&R. The pace that she and Jiraiya had pushed on the group had been harsh, but it was needed to reach Konoha in time.

But as she was sitting in the meeting, Tsunade could feel a headache already growing. It had taken all of three seconds for this 'council' to decide that they agreed with Tsunade's decision of assassinating Orochimaru, as if they could have done something to prevent it. They were all advisors, not rulers. But advisors still had some power and could cause plenty of headaches. Like the one they were giving their Hokage now.

"I still say it is dangerous to rely on allies." Nara Shikara, head of the Nara clan said. His last hairs, all as white as snow, were still bound back by his clan's traditional hairstyle, but unlike his nephew Shikaku's family, he was anything but laid back. "Allies have a habit of striking in the back, right when we need them the most. Look at our alliance with the Hidden Sand, three years ago!"

"While history shows that Shikara has, at times, been correct." The man opposite him, Inoshi, the head of Yamananka clan started. "We must not forget that allies have also saved us at times. Had we not been allied with the Hidden Grass and several other villages, Konoha would have been wiped out during the Third Great Shinobi War. I vote in favor of this alliance, though we keep a weary eye out."

"Backstab them before they can do it to us." The massive figure of Akimichi Chouda, head of his clan and severely lacking in the plump cheeriness his grandson Chouji often displayed, grumbled. "Let them be the first line of defense and when it becomes clear that our victory is secured, strike them down. We will defeat our enemy, the feared Akatsuki, and strike a critical blow to our allies all at the same time."

"I fear we drift from the subject of discussion." The monotone voice of Shita Aburame always managed to cut through the conversation and silence anyone who was talking, despite being hardly above a whisper. For years, Shita had been the clan head and chief producer of the Aburame Silk, so he had been present at business meetings for decades before retiring and focusing only on his position as clan head. "We are, for the moment, focusing our attention on the subject of Orochimaru and his assassination. According to what the Hokage has said, it is possible some of the other nations might assist us in this matter. Is this true?"

"Yes." Tsunade said; enjoying the silence that Shita had created. He was definitely one of her favorites for that ability alone, but that said very little. She liked almost no-one in this room, but she needed them. "As the mission report said, the Mizukage has ordered the Jinchuuriki of her village, Izayoi, to join Konoha for now, aiding in any attempts to take down Akatsuki. The Jinchuuriki of the Cloud, Yugito Nii, will also be joining us in approximately two weeks to continue a hunt for Akatsuki."

"They want to make us the target." The head of the Inuzuka Clan, Urufu barked out. he made the statement sound like something he approved of though. Urufu, for all his smarts, was still too much of a battle-crazed berserker sometimes. "Send all demons this way, so the enemy will concentrate all their power on us. Smart move on their part. But how will we hold up, with the Uzumaki brat wounded that badly? And, on the subject of Orochimaru, how are we going to infiltrate there? Striking just him won't be enough; we'll need to deal a crippling blow to the entire Sound village."

"If you would let me _finish!_" Tsunade said through clenched teeth, "The villages of Sand and Rock have offered to co-operate with Konoha in a raid on the hidden Sound's main village. Konoha will still be the ones to perform the attack on Orochimaru's person, but with the aid of two other great nations, we can wipe Sound out in little less then a month. Arrangements have already been made and the squads will move out in roughly four days."

"What of Uchiha Sasuke?" Shikara asked; his face still grim as always. "What do you intend to do with him?"

"We should have the boy executed for being a traitor." Chouda said almost at once, "But he could be a source of great power for our village. He is one of the last Uchiha, we cannot afford to waste his Sharingan. And imagine all the information he might have on Orochimaru…"

"I have plans for dealing with Uchiha Sasuke, but for now they're still on hold." Tsunade announced. Jiraiya gave a slight grin; he knew the plans, had actually been the one to suggest them. "Our first priority with him is to ensure his survival after we wake him from the artificial coma and learn how much control Orochimaru has on him. Anything else is of secondary priority. Finally, there is one last matter we must attend to; the promotion of the shinobi that participated in the Chuunin Exams. I trust that by now you've all finished reading the recommendations of the officials?"

"Indeed." All voices in the room murmured, though no-one seemed very happy. They should be; this was the only matter in which they had any real power. The Council of Clan Heads could decide against a personal promotion and if it was still pushed, every member of that clan could possibly ignore the additional authority that person gained, essentially making his promotion void in the field.

"As you know, Team 14 made it to the finals and they have received recommendations. Neither Sarutobi Konohamaru nor Hyuuga Hanabi have received positive reviews, do you consider them ready for promotion?"

"No." Hiashi was the first to remark. "Neither have the experience or skill needed to survive the missions of a Chuunin at this point. It is impressive that they made it to the finals with the skills they showed, much as it pains me to say of my own child, but they are not yet ready for a promotion."

This was something that Tsunade had not expected, but it was a very welcome surprise. Hiashi held much power with the other clans, possibly second only to Tsunade herself, and if he agreed with her, it was as good as done. At Tsunade's side, Kurenai – the acting head of the Sarutobi clan, until Konohamaru was of age, thanks to her marriage with Asuma – agreed as well.

"Finally, there is the matter of Uzumaki Naruto. All reviews by the judges have been exceedingly positive, what is your judgment in promoting him?"

Silence reigned in the room. Hiashi and Kurenai had already made their point to Tsunade in private, but the others still had to voice their opinions.

"I'll admit the kid knows how to fight, but with a teacher like Jiraiya-sama that's not surprising." Urufu barked again, his larger-then-life wolf-dog howling in agreement. "But we can't discuss his promotion until it becomes clear that the boy is capable of continuing his career as a shinobi. From what I've come to understand, his injury is permanent, which would cripple him in the field."

Unlike Hiashi, Urufu had always been vocal about his disapproval of Naruto. The fact he had mixed a compliment in with his backstabbing showed just how impressed he really was, but when every other clanhead agreed with him, Tsunade had no choice but to condone. She herself actually agreed, but she wanted to see Naruto promoted, damnit. He had earned it.

But, Tsunade reminded herself with a pang, there was nothing as dangerous as a promotion someone wasn't ready for. Nawaki had died to make her learn that rule.

XxX

Konohamaru, for his part, made his way back to his home when suddenly the rest of his old squad appeared around him. Moegi and Udon had recovered from their injuries in the time he was gone, now walking, running and jumping around town as usual, Ebisu-sensei hot on their trail.

"Hey Konohamaru-chan!" Moegi called out as she enveloped the boy in a fierce hug. As soon as he was released, Udon gave his best friend a rough tap on the shoulder, but neither action caused much reaction in the boy.

"Hey guys, how're you doing?" Konohamaru sounded more depressed then anything else, something they were not used to from their hyperactive 'second-in-command.' "I'm back, I guess."

"What's wrong, Konohamaru-kun?" Ebizu asked, concern now clear in his voice. "You don't sound like your usual self."

"Yeah, what's up? Don't tell me you're worried about Naruto-nii-san's injuries!" Moegi piped in. "We saw him being brought over to the hospital."

"Sakura-nee-san told us he'd gotten them while fighting a super-strong enemy." Udon added. "She said that even she was helpless against who the Leader was fighting. You can't blame yourself for that."

"I'm not." Konohamaru replied with force, but still only a ghost of his former self. "I'm not cursing myself for what happened to Nii-san, or anyone else during the exam… I'm not… really. But it's just… what happened during the exam…" Konohamaru took a deep breath, turning his head away from his friends. "It was… the exam was so hard, it was unlike anything I ever did! And… and… neither Hanabi-chan nor I could even come close to everything they asked us in those exams. But Nii-chan, he… he solved everything so quickly."

"Well, he's the Leader!" Udon remarked, like it was the simplest solution in the world. We all know he's amazing, why're you so surprised?"

"It's not just that! Nii-san was amazing during the exams, but even more so when we got to the finals. The way he fought… everything he showed before, it was just a fraction of his ability. And then, when the exam was over, that damn snake Orochimaru tried to kill him. But, but… everyone else jumped down and fought him, _everyone_ except for Hanabi-chan and me. I got the message, Ebisu-sensei. I got the message that you, the Hokage and anyone else who formed our squad wanted to send me." The last part was spoken, oddly enough, with pride as he looked his teacher in the eye.

Turning back to his two best friends, Konohamaru's voice finally regained some of it's normal quality, but it sounded much more mature then before.

"No matter what we might think of ourselves, we're not ready to take our skills to the next level yet." He told them, causing Ebisu to smile. "I got to the finals, because Nii-san was dragging me there by my feet, I only slowed him down. And I got a first-line demonstration of the gap that exists between us and Chuunins. Of the gap that exists between those that want to be Chuunin and those that are. If we ever want to reach that level, let alone higher, we're going to have to work ourselves like we've never worked before."

XxX

Hanabi was lying on her bed, her eyes looking at the ceiling, but not seeing anything. She had eaten dinner with her family, but she hadn't spoken. After she had returned home, Hanabi had done very little other then sitting in her room, not even keeping track of the time. She had appeared at dinner because the gong had been sound, indicating the time.

Suddenly the door to her room slid open, waking the young Hyuuga from her trance-like state to realize that her mother had walked into the room. Without a word, Hyuuga Hinabi closed the door behind her and sat at the end of her daughter's bed.

"Hanabi, I'm worried about you." She started, hands busy straightening her skirts while her eyes were locked on her daughter. "Ever since you came back you're so silent. Your father said you were also very quiet on the journey back and when you didn't say anything during dinner… I was expecting you to start telling us about the adventures you had during the exam."

"I'm sorry mom, but there's a lot on my mind." Hanabi muttered, trying to avoid looking at her mother, who had started to give her soft, motherly smile. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"I can understand that, honey, but please listen to me." Hinabi's smile never left her face. "Your father, your sister and many others of our clan who have chosen the path of the shinobi, they've all run into things they wished they didn't. Every shinobi does. And many of those things, you can't talk about because the mission is classified. If you keep everything bottled up, even the things you don't have to, you'll break at some point. So, talk about the things you can talk about, don't stockpile them. Even your father didn't keep everything he encountered to himself when he was still actively taking missions."

"Father did?" Hanabi shot up, disbelieve clear in her voice. Her father was an exemplary shinobi who had never failed any of his missions. He could keep a perfect stoic face in any situation and never show his emotions and that made it almost impossible to imagine him talking about something horrible. The way her father acted, nothing ever affected him.

"Yes, he did." Hinaba continued with a smile. "But don't tell him I told you. He used to try to keep them away from me, but he always talked to his own mother; and his brother when he still could. I think he might have even talked about his missions with his father at times, but he tries to keep me from finding out about it. It wasn't until we were married for almost three years that I finally managed to get him to talk about it, but it was very much needed. So, don't bottle it up."

"Well…" Hanabi still had trouble wrapping her head around the idea of her father feeling as downcast as she was right now and talking to someone about it, but… the times that Hanabi had ignored her mother's advice before, somehow her mother had always proven to be correct. Might as well talk about it. "It's something that happened in the exams. Actually, it's a lot of things."

"Well, take your time and tell me." Hinabi reassured her daughter. "I'm not going anywhere and I'm here just for you."

"Well… I was… mom, I was scared!" Hanabi mumbled, trying to swallow the words as much as possible. "After we completed the first part of the exam, I was scared. Even when we were in the forest and we met that other team, from the Mist, I was already scared. Every single time we met an enemy squad, every time we fought them, I was sure they were trying to kill me. I was sure I'd die, and I was scared because of it."

"Being scared is nothing to be afraid of, Hanabi-chan." Hinabi said as she closed the distance to her daughter and wrapped an arm around her. "It's natural. I'm scared every time you or anyone else leaves the mansion for a mission, scared you might not come back. Your father feels that fear as well, even if he doesn't show it. Your sister told me she is still scared every time she has to fight an enemy and even Neji, strong as he is, still feels fear. Cherish your fear, Hanabi, because it shows that you're still human." Even through her shaking body, Hanabi recognized the quote. Iruka-sensei had often told it to them, when teaching them the rules of the shinobi.

"Cherish your fear, but do not be hampered by it. Acknowledge it exists, but do not act upon it. That is the way of the shinobi." Hanabi recited. It was such an easy rule to memorize. Why was it so hard in practice then?

"Were you the only one who was scared? Was Konohamaru-kun also without fear?" Hinabi was now hugging her daughter closer, realizing how close she was to bursting into tears. Hinata had been much the same, years ago, after her crushing defeat by Neji.

"N-no, Konohamaru was scared as well, at least back in the forest he was. But in the cave, he fought without a problem. I couldn't. It wasn't until Naruto-san came back and distracted my enemy that I could really fight. And then I killed. I was even more scared then before. But Naruto-san… Naruto-san wasn't afraid, not for one moment. He always stayed cool, always stayed in control."

As Hanabi sniffed, drawing in more air, Hinabi wisely stayed silent. She knew how hard the first kill was, despite not being a shinobi herself. But Hanabi was getting everything out of her system, so it was best to let her go on and safe the consoling talk for later.

"And when the finals started, I lost my first fight. My opponent was far too strong for me in every area, and she made it to the semi-finals, so I… I shouldn't be ashamed of losing, but I am. And I'm even more scared, because I saw what she could do. And then the other fights all continued. With every fight I saw, every match I watched, I… I felt weaker and weaker. Everything that was happening in the rounds down below, I couldn't do them. I couldn't fight anyone in that tournament."

By now tears were already streaming down Hanabi's cheeks and into her mother's kimono, but Hinabi kept her daughter's face to her bosom, while she kept talking.

"Then, when Naruto-san fought with the Uchiha, I couldn't keep up with what they were doing. Everything they had done so far, every single fight I'd seen them in… they had only been showing bits and pieces of their ability and seeing just how strong they were… I was terrified. Even when Nee-san got down and fought against those other ninja, I was too petrified to move! I couldn't do anything, even when Nee-san fell with a scream… all I could do… I could only… watch."

Hinabi stayed that way for hours, her daughter crying into her clothing, while she herself tried to fight the tears. Shinobi life was hard, but to see her confident daughter brought down like this… she had to remind herself that it was best she learned this lesson now, instead of later, but it was still a hard lesson to learn.

XxX

'_Where… am… I…_' Naruto's thoughts were slow, but they seemed to echo on forever inside his skull. He tried to lift his head, but couldn't. His head felt so… heavy. Even moving his eyes was an effort. Once, Naruto had tried Ero-Sennin's supply of alcohol and had woken up with a hangover the next day, but this felt ten times worse.

Only minus the headache.

The lights overhead were blinding, but not in a painful way. With a massive effort, Naruto's eyes moved to the side, but it was little improvement. He was in a white room and all the furniture seemed to float around, even the window didn't stay put!

Wait, there was something strange. A… feeling… that tried to get through. But from where?

'_Where is that coming from?_' Naruto thought. '_Isn't that… I think… that's where… my… right arm… is… isn't it?_'

Trying to locate the strange feeling, however, gave Naruto another realization; he couldn't feel anything else. He could see the cover he was lying under, but he didn't feel anything from his belly. In fact, he didn't even feel his belly itself!

'_I must be… on some kind of… medicine._' Naruto slowly realized. His head was still weighing a ton and his thoughts still echoed on for eternity, but he was slowly beginning to think. Normally, these thoughts would have passed in a second or less, but today they were excruciatingly slow. Concentrating, Naruto tried to clear his mind – a mental exercise the monks had taught him – but regretted it instantly. As soon as he managed to force a small amount of his mind to alertness, above the painkillers, pain shot through him.

'_Guess there's a reason… I'm on painkillers._' Naruto tried to joke to himself, but he only remained more worried. At least his thoughts seemed to be picking up some speed again. His head, lying to the left, had to be forced to begin it's slow and heavy path to turn around, but with some effort Naruto managed it. '_Why is my arm hurting so much?_'

Fortunately, the other side of the room had a large mirror, so Naruto got a clear look at his arm. When the sight registered with him, he wanted nothing more then to scream in horror! What happened to his arm, why was it so mutilated? The only thing that stopped his screams was the painkillers, still clouding his mind.

Next to the mirror was the door, which was being opened while Naruto still tried to scream in horror. He thought he could feel the pain that must be coursing through his body return. That was a monstrosity, burned beyond recognition, not a part of his body!

Suddenly, Naruto's vision was obscured by a black robe and someone was shouting. Naruto couldn't hear what, but it had something to do with the mirror. Gently, 2 hands reached around Naruto's head and rotated it back to look upwards. Shizune was standing over Naruto, a concerned, but kind, look on her face.

"Naruto-kun – can – you – hear – me?" Shizune spoke slow and obvious, but Naruto could barely keep up with what she was saying. His mind was working far too slow, the vision of his arm still burned into his mind. "Blink – twice – if – you – can – hear – me."

Naruto blinked twice, but even that took some effort. Shizune gave a deep sigh, before she continued explaining, still talking as slow and obvious as before.

"We – only – just – got – back – to – Konoha – and – we – brought – you – to – the – hospital – for – treatment. You – suffered – serious – injuries – in – the – exam – and – needed – treatment. We – woke – you – up – so – you – could eat. The – nurse – is – going – feed – you – while – I – explain."

'_No, no I can eat!_' Naruto thought, but he couldn't voice his thougthts. '_I'm not a baby, I can eat for myself!_'

But Shizune still gave the nurse a signal and a spoonful of porridge was put into Naruto's mouth. Despite the clouds of steam that came off the food, Naruto couldn't taste or feel anything inside his mouth. Just how strong were his painkillers?

"Naruto-kun – after - you're – done – eating – we'll – put – you – under – again." Shizune continued, each words broken up by another spoonful of porridge going into Naruto's mouth.

"This – is – going – to – stay – that – way – until – we're – done – making – adjustments – to – your – nervous – system."

The spoon that kept being put into his mouth was remarkably small, Naruto thought as he got another glimpse of the thing. And why was Shizune-nee-san sounding so sad and apologetic? Was it his arm? That monstrous thing, that shouldn't have been attached to his body.

"Naruto-san…" Shizune really did sound apologetic, but why? "We – might – have – to – amputate – your – arm."

'_Amputate? What was that again?_'

"If – we – don't – you – will – probably – live – your – entire – life – in – pain. I'm – so –

sorry – but – if – we – amputate – you – can – not – continue – life – as – a – shinobi.

Despite his painkillers and ruined wit, Naruto did understand that message. And with that realization, Naruto could feel another stab of pain through his body. The combination was enough to break even Naruto. For the first time since he had been a little boy, for the first time since he had made that man laugh by falling in the mud when he was a child, Naruto gave in to despair.

The nurse was done feeding Naruto just in time to avoid seeing the tears that streamed down his cheeks. Shizune, however, did see them. Slowly, she lowered Naruto down into the bed again and leaned over to give him a kiss on the forehead. It would take another fifteen minutes before Naruto would be drugged to sleep again and Shizune had many other tasks to attend too.

The sobs that followed her as she left the room nearly tore her heart out.

XxX

As always when he needed thinking, the leader of Akatsuki had removed all light from the cavern he was hiding in. For all the years of his life, for as long as he could remember, he had always thought best when in the dark. And he needed to think right now.

"Damn hormones, damn teenagers and damn male teenagers with a hormone high!" He muttered to himself as he marched around. "Years of planning and they risk everything! Why do kids always have to use the big, explosive, self-destructive techniques! There are a million and three subtle moves they can pull that'll be just as effective, but NOOOO we want big explosion and nearly dying after every fight!"

Taking deep breaths, the Leader forced himself to calm down. Yes, Sasuke and Naruto had risked much when they nearly killed each other, and even more when they gave each other permanent injuries, but he would have to make do. Convincing the other Akatsuki members that it was necessary that Hidan and Kakuzu were eliminated was easy. He had told them that Kakuzu had been denied the extra power that each member of the organization could reach for, because of who he was fighting.

Even with the power boost, the Leader had told the Members, Kakuzu could not have defeated the five Kages, Orochimaru, Jiraiya and three dozen other Jounin-level ninja. He would have been defeated by the kages, most likely, and then they would have crucial knowledge of Akatsuki's secret weapon. The reasoning was sound and members of Akatsuki felt little to no love for each other, so no-one questioned the action.

Finally, the Leader stopped his paces and set down. Rubbing the sides of his head with his hands he forced himself to calm down.

"I have to stop overreacting." He told himself. "This isn't the first time my plans needed to be altered. But I'm so _close_ to finally… no, I can't be blinded by that, not now. The facts have changed, the pawns are altered. Don't blindly pursue other ideas, if the facts change, change the plan. That's always been the path to success."

But how? Everything was so close to fruition… only a few shorts months left, before the plan was completed. Completely re-planning it would take yet another generation, would take too long. Perhaps it was time…

"Yes, perhaps it's time for some direct intervention…" the Leader muttered, pacing again, seeing the advantages and disadvantages and going over them as thoroughly as needed. "If I leave now, I can make it to Konoha before nightfall. I'll do that. After all, those kids are just as important to my plans as Akatsuki's ever been."

* * *

Yo, Kushin eX here authenticating the betaing of this chapter! It's all good man.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think of the chapter.

And before everyone asks: my Akatsuki Leader is NOT Pein, but an original character, as this last scene should demonstrate quite clearly. And, concerning Hyuuga Hinabi (Hinata and Hanabi's mom): many people have send reviews claiming that she is dead, but I have done some research myself, re-reading every chapter that has Hinata in it and checking out the Naruto wikia, but it is never confirmed that Hinata's mother is dead. She just doesn't make an appearance in the series at all, so she is technically an OC.


	52. Chapter 52

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it.

* * *

Waking up was something that Sasuke had become accustomed to doing in less then a second. A live of a shinobi depended on split seconds and waking alert might be the difference between a dagger in the ribs or killing the assassin who tried to plant the dagger.

Yet for all his training, waking up was slow this time, the light blinding but not painful to his eyes. He had to blink several times to be able to see properly and even then he felt… slow. He could feel a strange pressure on his limbs and it took a few seconds for his mind to piece together that he was sitting bound to his chair, straps around his wrists, elbows, ankles and knees. There was someone at his side who injected a syringe, shooting him full of something.

Several seconds after the injection, Sasuke's mind began to speed up, going back to normal. Only now did he see the second person, holding a hand on his left shoulder. Or what was left of his shoulder, anyway. Odd that he didn't feel anything from his arm, it looked like he should have been in agony.

Despite the destruction of his left arm, Sasuke kept his face neutral. His revenge was nearly impossible with his arm like this, but he wouldn't show despair. Not to those in the room with him. He recognized only one of them, a huge man in a black trench coat with a bandana around his head. He had seen him only once before, as an examiner and even then he had been weary of the man.

Morino Ibiki.

"Glad to see you're awake." Ibiki started, standing with his hands on his back, looking down on Sasuke. "I'll give you a basic rundown; you are now our captive, due to your injuries you have been held in a comatose state since you were recovered from the Chuunin Exams. I don't want you slowed by drugs, so I've had my men give you a shot of adrenaline, which you should be feeling by now. Your mind will be up to normal speed soon."

He took a step forward and Sasuke got a good look at his face. It was by no means a kind face – covered in scars as it was – but it was at least not set on hating him. Not yet, anyway.

"As you can see, your left arm is completely ruined from the shoulder down and you are in agonizing pain, unless the signal's blocked. That's what my associate is doing now, stopping all neural input between your brain and your shoulder. Give him a taste."

The man at Sasuke's shoulder released Sasuke's body and immediately the teen was overcome by pain, crying out despite his best efforts. Before he could even begin to squirm in his bonds though, the man had grabbed Sasuke's shoulder again and the pain disappeared.

"Now, I will give you the same option I give everyone else: talk now and be spared much pain and agony or I will start doing my job. I doubt truth serums will work on you, not if Orochimaru and Kabuto trained you half as well as I expect, so I won't even bother to try. Fail to answer truthfully and you will suffer the consequences. Will you answer our questions?"

The silence stretched on for several minutes, Ibiki not even moving a muscle. Sasuke tried to analyze his situation, see the benefits and consequences… finally he smiled at Ibiki and spoke up.

"I have no loyalty to Orochimaru whatsoever." He announced. "The Curse Seal has an influence on my mind, as I learned while studying it, but it doesn't make me loyal. I was planning on killing him myself at the first chance I get. He taught me all he could and I've surpassed him already. What do you want to know?"

Still towering over Sasuke, Ibiki let out a smile as well. Sometimes his job was nasty, but every once in a while… every once in a while it was easy and fun. Sometimes he didn't need to break his victim's mind.

XxX

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was stuck in an office somewhere in the Hokage tower, going over the profiles of every shinobi in Konoha of Chuunin rank or higher. He had a day and a half left to gather his squad and begin their travel to assassinate Orochimaru, but he had made no headway whatsoever. He had already assessed which Shinobi he could use best while traveling, but he had reached no conclusion.

Kakashi was his natural first choice, the young man had a talent that was rare, along with loyalty to Konoha that would make him do anything. Kakashi was also one of the most successful assassins that Konoha had developed the last twenty years. Only Itachi ranked above him in that area. Unfortunately Kakashi was away on another mission already, due to return in Konoha in a little under two weeks, but completely unreachable while away.

Tsunade was another of Jiraiya's prime choices, but she was unable to leave the village for longer periods of time due to her tasks as Hokage. There was no-one alive who Jiraiya trusted more and Tsunade was a known element to Jiraiya. They could work in perfect tandem without a word exchanged. But alas, she couldn't join him.

His final choice was Konoha's second-best assassin, ranking just below Kakashi; Uzuki Yugao, a captain of ANBU and a former subordinate of Kakashi's. When Kakashi had been in ANBU, Yugao had worked on his squad and learned much of his style and loyalty. She was willing to do whatever it took to protect Konoha, but not blinded by her devotion. A smart woman, more than deserving of her rank in ANBU. However, like Kakashi, she was out of the village and her mission could not be stopped.

So, Jiraiya was now digging through every other file, but failing to find suitable teammates. Gai was of course a powerful and capable man, able to do whatever he put his mind to and be quiet about it if needed, the only man in Konoha to come near Kakashi's success rate on missions. Kakashi had a success rating of 99.9 percent, Gai had 99.8 percent. However, Gai had always been clear about one thing; if possible, he didn't want assassination missions. The man had ideals, goals and hopes and he found the work of an assassin unable to fit in any of them. He would comply if ordered, but it would be with reluctance.

Reluctance was not something Jiraiya could afford on this mission. Well, so far only one file had made it onto his stack of 'possible candidates.' Only Shizune; Tsunade's aide was the second-best medic in Konoha and, though she often worked as Tsunade's assistant, she still did field missions as well. More skilled than most Jounin, Shizune was someone Jiraiya could rely on, someone to guard his back while he worked. That still left two other spots.

Kurenai was out, since she was heavily pregnant, though few matched her skill with Genjutsu. Asuma was dead, Hiashi was no longer active in foreign missions and none of the other clan-based ninja that Jiraiya knew were skilled in assassination.

Of course, Jiraiya could have just taken a squad of ANBU with him, but a mission like this was ranked above S-rank. The assassination of someone like Orochimaru was dangerous business and it could only be accomplished by a squad that could and would rely on each other. Jiraiya needed people he could trust, not random strangers.

Sighing, the white-haired man stood up and stretched out. he needed a small break from going over all those files. As he did so, his mind went to Naruto. The hyper boy would have also been one of Jiraiya's first choices. Like Gai, he was the type that wasn't expected to become an assassin and was that much better because of it. While traveling, Naruto had developed into a fine assassin. Twelve had died by his hand without knowing who had killed them.

"But, alas," Jiraiya muttered aloud, taking a sip of his sake before sitting down and going over the files again. "He's out. I'll be happy if he just survives what's going on with him. After I get back from this mission, I'll spend as much time with him as he needs, he has to recover. Wouldn't be much of a godfather if I didn't."

But being Naruto's godfather would have to wait, at least for a while, because he first had to select his squad. If he didn't have his squad ready for this mission, he wouldn't be able to return from it.

XxX

Sakura was walking through Konoha's hospital, quickly writing down some data on Kiba and Chouji's files. Konoha kept carefully detailed medical records on all shinobi, keeping track of both their physical and mental condition. As soon as they had arrived back in Konoha, Kiba and Chouji had been sent to the hospital and been attended to by Med-Nin and doctors there. The poison had been completely extracted from both of them and they had been kept overnight to monitor. Sakura had just finished releasing both of them from the hospital and was now on her way to her check.

Part of Tsunade's hospital policy for Med-Nins in training was that they had to see different sections of the hospital they worked at. This month, Sakura would be working the Intensive Care unit. The most injured of patients, the vast majority of shinobi hurt in the line of duty somewhere, and the one department that Sakura wanted to avoid like the plague right now.

The department that held Naruto and Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke had been taken out of his room early in the morning, accompanied by a squad of ANBU, but this floor was still filled with the masked ninja. Not all the ninja who had been 'hurt in the line of duty' were doing a duty to Konoha. Captives had to be kept alive to interrogate, enemies were kept drugged up until they could be studied and various other situations meant that over half the department had at least one ANBU guard.

As she walked through the hallway, intending to check in with the reception, several of the ANBU gave her a careful glance and a respectful nod. Everyone was a suspect, could be someone else in a Transformation Technique, but those that showed no ill will were still treated with respect. After all, the medic you see in the hallway on Monday may be the one who has to prevent you from bleeding to death on Thursday.

There was, however, one room that made Sakura stop cold in her tracks. There was one ANBU guard outside, sitting in a chair by the door in a seemingly relaxed posture, reading a magazine. Sakura knew better though: ANBU were never off guard, only making it seem so to trap enemies. Naruto was inside that room.

Of course, Naruto was still drugged up and kept in a coma, but before long Tsunade-shisho would have to take action somehow. The paperwork had stacked up during her absence and she had immediately buried herself in her work, but Sakura knew why she wanted to avoid coming down here. Three years ago, the Kyuubi had saved Naruto's arm when all the chakra systems had been torn to pieces; a miracle healing. Now, Tsunade-shisho was probably hoping for the same thing.

A hope that Sakura shared; a hope that she was disgusted for feeling. Miracles were not something a medic should hope for. And nothing had happened so far to show of any kind of activity in Naruto's arm. Of course, the extent of the damage was too different; before, only Naruto's chakra system had been damaged. Overstrained to the point of explosion, yes, but the other tissues in his arm had been mostly undamaged.

Now… now every tissue in his arm had been burned away, the wounds not allowing the Kyuubi's miraculous healing to seep through and restore them. Perhaps it would happen with time, but how long would that take? Three years ago, Naruto had taken over four months to regain his arm.

The ANBU now gazing at Sakura reminded her that she had been standing at the door, staring at it, for some time now. Taking a deep breath to gather herself; Sakura continued on, not glancing at Naruto's door again. Shizune had told her what had happened the night before, when he had been woken up.

Sakura had to force her mind away from the matter. Perhaps she should have seen how Naruto was doing, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't look upon Naruto and see him so… so destroyed.

Forcing the tears down required effort, but with trouble she managed it.

'Rule of the Shinobi number twenty-five.' Sakura mentally scolded herself. 'A shinobi must never show tears, no matter what happens.'

XxX

Again, Naruto slowly woke. He hadn't told anyone, but already Naruto woke from his sleep much faster. His wits weren't as slow as they had been yesterday, when Shizune had woken him up for the first time.

Looking around, Naruto realized that it was dark outside, so it wasn't morning yet. He had already been fed his dinner, so why was he awake already? There was a movement at his side, causing Naruto to turn around and look at the stranger standing besides his bed, one hand pressed on Naruto's right shoulder.

The man at Naruto's side was bald, but otherwise there was nothing that Naruto could really put his finger on about him. The man wasn't really tall, but he wasn't short either. He wasn't slim or skinny, but far from obese. He seemed, in every possible aspect, to be a very common man. A person you saw when walking down the street and forget as soon as he left your eyesight.

So, what was he doing in here?

"Ah, you're awake, good to see." The man's voice was pleasant, but not musical. Again, something completely bland. "I thought so. The Kyuubi's survival instincts are very impressive, aren't they? Any kind of toxic enters and he immediately resists it. The effects are carried on to you, his container, in a lesser extent. Unfortunately, most medicines are just another form of toxins, so the Kyuubi starts to fight those as well. In less then a week, the drug they use to keep you under won't be effective anymore."

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, surprised by how quickly his wit was returning. Who was this man? How did he know of the Kyuubi and it's abilities?

"A pleasure to meet you," The man politely bowed his head in greeting, before continuing. "Yes, he is really quite remarkable, wouldn't you say? Of course, all the Gatekeepers are impressive in their own right, but the Kyuubi is special, even amongst them. Tell me, do you have conversations with him?"

"I asked who you are." Naruto tried to make his voice more forceful, but it barely came out as a croak. Curse his medicine.

"I'm a fan. Well, seeing your lack of response to a name like Gatekeepers, you have talked to him. Has he told you his history? It is utterly fascinating, wouldn't you agree?"

"Tell me your name!" Naruto demanded, trying to rise up. The stranger simply applied some pressure to Naruto's shoulder, keeping him on the bed. Curse how weak the medicine had made him!

"It's not important. People often give far too much attention to such trivial matters when they should be focused on more important matters. You, for example, should be more focused on how to recover from this injury you have. You can't continue on like this, you have to be on your feet as soon as possible. Or do you really think you can be useful to anyone if you're lacking an arm?"

"Tell me who you are!" Naruto's voice was finally gaining some strength as his anger made adrenaline flow through his body. "What are you going on about? What do you want? How do you know about the Kyuubi? ANSWER ME!"

"Now, now, there's no need to start shouting." The man smiled, his voice not changing tone at all. "Like I said, I'm a fan. I've been looking at you for a long time, observing what you did. I knew you were destined for greatness the moment I laid eyes on you. The Kyuubi would not let his container be someone lost in the pages of history. And for that, you need to have your arm restored. It can't stay like this, but Chakra can't reach the wound… even the Kyuubi can't heal it like this."

The mention of his injury automatically made Naruto turn his eyes towards his arm. It was covered in bandages, thankfully, but even so, despite being awake, Naruto felt no pain. And the man still had his hand placed on Naruto's shoulder.

"How are you stopping the pain? What're you doing?" Naruto asked, a relief slipping into his voice he didn't want to make known. Something was wrong about this too-plain man. As he looked again, Naruto made eye contact for the first time and his head nearly jerked back.

The man had two rings in his eyes!

The sight of Naruto's flinch was, apparently, very amusing because the man burst into laughter.

"I'm doing what I have to." He said, eyes now locked on Naruto's. "As I said, I have kept a careful eye on you for a long time now. I know of your power, of the Kyuubi's power. And I have need for it. You and your friends play an important role in my plans. Plans that have been decades in the making. Plans that you almost ruined with your foolish fight with Uchiha Sasuke."

"What're you talking about? And who ARE you! " Plans that have been decades in the making? The man looked no older then twenty-five at most!

"You're not going to let that go, are you? Honestly, names aren't all that important." The man sounded amused, but there was a small hint of annoyance in there too. Still, Naruto kept looking at the man, eyes determined to get an answer. "Oh, alright. If you must call me something… I am into the writings of the Western Continent lately. Call me Richard, if you will. It's a nice name, means a rich and powerful leader. Yes, Richard will do quite nicely."

"I don't want some random name you just thought up." Naruto returned. "I want your real name, now! And what do you want with me!"

"Honestly, does it really matter that much what name I have? Even if I could remember my real name, why would I tell you? But, as I was saying before, I'm doing what I have to, you understand. I have, over the years, pulled of many different plots and plans, some lasting no more then mere days, others lasting months, or years or decades. You are a key piece in one of my plans. You and the Kyuubi. I can't afford to have you lost now; it would set me back by decades at the least."

Naruto didn't say anything this time, instead trying to work out what the man was going on about.

"Do you know that, in a good plan, you don't have to do anything yourself? Well, in most of my plans, I've managed to do just that. However, this is too big and too close to fruition to let it go to waste now. So, this is one of the rare occasions where I interfere myself, even though I hate having to do so. Best to make sure I won't have to do it again. You won't like it if I do."

"What're you going to do?" a small sense of fear suddenly struck the blond as he saw the gleam in Richard's eyes.

"I'm going to give you something." The bald man replied, eyes still locked on Naruto's. "I am going to give you that which no-one else can give you anymore. But I won't lie about this; it will hurt more then anything you can possible imagine. It'll help you learn why you shouldn't mess up my plans anymore."

Finally Richard lifted his arm from Naruto's shoulder and immediately a wave of unrivalled agony crashed into Naruto like an avalanche of pain. For the first time, the full sensation of his injuries crashed over him, making Naruto scream and howl in pain for a second. After that second, the pain was so excruciating that Naruto couldn't even scream anymore, only lie on his bed, tensed beyond believe, sometimes twitching with his mouth open in a silent scream.

Richard took a small step back, but Naruto failed to notice through the pain.

"I am going to return life to you." Richard said, ignoring Naruto's spasms of pain. His hands started to glow in a strange purple chakra, creating an orb that was rapidly growing.

"Behold!" Richard said as the orb grew large enough to match Naruto's arm. "This is the power of the Five-Tailed Dolphin Horse. The power to reverse time in a limited area. The power that will return life to you."

Richard engulfed Naruto's arm in the orb of purple chakra. The effect was immediate for Naruto; the pain from before was as nothing to this! Millions upon millions of blades cut into every single cell of his arm, magnified a thousand fold and all he could do was scream in silence as the pain paralyzed his lungs.

Richard just kept the orb of chakra on Naruto's arm, not flinching as the boy writhed in pain.

XxX

Tsunade had only just settled into her office for the day, going over the documents that required her attention, when she noticed two people coming towards her fast. Ten seconds later, a distraught and excited Ino dashed into her office, Sakura hot on her heels.

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked her two students, curious what had gotten them this excited. They didn't do messenger-functions unless it was really important.

"Tsu-Tsunade-Shisho," Ino puffed, trying to catch her breath, "It… it's Naruto a- and Sa-Sasuke!"

Immediately Tsunade sat at attention. Had they been killed in their sleep? Had they somehow woke up from their coma and continued their fight? Teenage boys always did try to solve their problems with fists rather then thought.

"Their arms!" Sakura also gasped. She had worked a night-shift, so the news must have been discovered when she was finishing up. Of course it would be, the people in the hospital would have been given their breakfast about fifteen minutes ago.

"What is it? Did they start to fester or infect?" That could be a problem indeed. So far, the two hadn't had any further complications, despite their injuries, but if it happened now…

"No, their arms are healed!" Ino blurted out, finally having regained her breath enough to talk normally. Immediately Tsunade shot out of her chair. Healed? Those injuries? There was no way that could have happened! In Naruto's case, there was a slight possibility that the Kyuubi might have played a role, but with Sasuke there was no such thing.

"Give me a full report, now!" Tsunade barked, quickly seating herself again.

"Just as I was finishing my shift and informing Ino of the status of our patients, we received a report from the nurses sent to feed Naruto and Sasuke-kun." Sakura began, also talking on a normal level again. Military-style training had kicked in and she was finally giving her report as objectively as possible. "They reported that both patients had somehow recovered from their injuries, though both are still drugged. Immediate checks indicate that both have made a full physical recovery and are able to physically perform on mission-level intensity."

"Well, that's really something." A new voice suddenly said, Jiraiya appearing behind the two girls. The man always tried to sneak up on his old teammate, saying it was to keep her senses sharp. Tsunade personally thought it was because he was still hoping for a chance to peep. This time though, his voice didn't sound as happy or confident as it normally did. As soon as he stepped into the room he closed the door behind him and started pacing.

"Is there any indication of what happened? A remnant of chakra or medicine detected in their systems that could explain any of it? Are there any theories about what caused this?"

"No, but there was something else odd." Ino now spoke up. Apparently, the two girls were going to be talking in turns today. Much better then how they had been a few years ago, nearly breaking into fights just to get the right to say something. "As we were running basic diagnostic tests on Naruto, he woke up and wasn't slowed by the drugs as would be normal in such a scenario. One of the doctors present immediately questioned him. Naruto told the doctor that he remembered only blinding pain, so intense that he hadn't been able to scream anymore, and a strange voice saying something."

"Also," Sakura added, "the ANBU guarding the room reported that nothing has happened inside the room. No sounds or movements other then those expected in a room with a sick man. The only visitor was a nurse around midnight who checked up on the patient's status. No changes reported then."

"Thank you for reporting this so quickly." Tsunade said, holding her hands together as her mind raced. "You're dismissed. Ino, you're still needed in the hospital and Sakura, you need to rest."

"Yes Tsunade-Shisho." Both girls bowed, turned and left. As soon as the door closed behind them, Jiraiya slapped a paper on the door, the seal preventing any sound from escaping to the outside.

"What'd you think, Jiraiya? What happened to him?"

"I have no idea." The white-haired man admitted as he marched through the room. "Other then you, Kabuto is the best medic I know of and he can sneak into a room guarded by ANBU, but why would he heal Naruto? Better yet, how did he do it? Are there any permanent changes? Erasing Naruto's memory wouldn't be needed; the pain will wipe out his memories of the moment, completely engulfing him. And nothing in my information network points to Kabuto being able to heal injuries like that."

"So, even you have no idea?" Tsunade was stunned; Jiraiya always had intel, always knew things no-one else did. The man's information network was more extensive then any other in the known world!

"However…" Jiraiya said, a thoughtful look on his face as he looked at Tsunade, "If the tests point out that Naruto is in mission-operative status… can you finish checking up on him, ensuring he'll be ready for a mission before noon?"

"Don't tell me you want to bring him along!"

"I do." Jiraiya now sat down in the chair, on level with Tsunade. "Naruto is one of the people I trust with my life. I need reliable people to watch my back and we know how we operate. I will hardly have to give him instructions, he'll know what to do and that is an invaluable skill when deep in enemy territory."

"Very well, if Naruto checks out alright, you can bring him along. If you pull this mission off and Naruto is a part of it, no-one can even begin to doubt his ability. But keep an eye on him! Also, if you bring Naruto, you'll have to bring Izayoi with you. She has been ordered by the Mizukage to stay close to Naruto. She didn't bother him at the hospital because I ordered her out and into an old house in the Uchiha complex, but if he goes on a mission… I don't want to know how far that girl will go to complete her orders. She takes them far too literally."

"I understand." Jiraiya nodded. "But I don't think we want her away from Naruto. In the exam, he proved to be able to somewhat control her. He stopped Izayoi from killing Hanabi and Sakura's reports indicate that she is now curious about Naruto as well. I'll keep her close, but with an eye on her. She might prove to be very useful. Not only is she strong, but she's been trained by the Mist. Assassination is a bit of a specialty of theirs."

XxX

The sun was setting, but already Team Jiraiya was on the borders of the Nation of Fire. They had pushed hard since leaving Konoha, but no-one had experienced difficulty in keeping up. Such a stark contrast between this and Jiraiya's previous team. They had covered three times as much ground as when Konohamaru and Hanabi had joined him and Naruto.

They hadn't stopped for lunch, instead eating while running. They needed to be inside the base that Sasuke had said would be Orochimaru's most likely hideout when recovering before the combined forces of Konoha, Sand and Rock would arrive to completely destroy the Sound village.

"We'll find a place to rest soon," Jiraiya informed his team. "Rest until midnight and then continue on." He had always disliked traveling at twilight, the light could reveal you when you thought you were well hidden, or hide things you wanted to see.

"So, how much longer will we be traveling?" Naruto asked. "And where are we going?"

"We'll be traveling for most of tomorrow as well, but we'll have to be more careful. Expect frequent patrols when we enter the Land of Sound and we can't afford to take them out. According to Sasuke, Orochimaru will be going to his greatest stronghold, a base in the south-east of the country."

"I take it we're relying on more than just Sasuke's intel?"

"Yes, I've checked everything Sasuke told Ibiki with what I already knew via my own network. His intel confirms my own, so it is at least partially reliable. It did help reduce my possible strike-sites from fifty-nine to ten. The other locations I had discovered are area's he doesn't visit personally, used only for training small cells of shinobi. Sasuke did tell us that the facility we're going to is the most protected, so we'll need to be at our best"

Naruto, Shizune and Izayoi all nodded, but said nothing more. Jiraiya summoned the three to close formation and a jump later they were all so close together that they could have touched each other without raising an arm.

"Now, on to the actual briefing," Jiraiya said, his voice now barely above a whisper. "Every cell of the Sound Village will be hit simultaneously by attacks from the Villages of Sand, Rock and Konoha, including the location we're going too. This is the most like an actual village, so the brunt of the attack will be at our location. Before the actual attack hits, we are to infiltrate Orochimaru's hideout and then use the confusion of the attack to assassinate him."

The three only nodded.

"The layout of the base is like a maze, intended to slow down any potential attacks like ours. If we get split up we may spend days wandering the base without knowing where we are. Once we reach the base we're going to meet up with Konoha's agent inside the base, who'll show us where Orochimaru is staying. The base itself is built almost completely underground, so we'll have likely notice very little about the battle up above. Aside from our insider's knowledge, Sasuke has given us a detailed map of the outside, with best points of entry and traps."

"How wise will it be to follow his word, Jiraiya-sama?" Shizune asked, her voice as kind as respectful as always. Tsunade really had trained her well. "He has not proven to be trustworthy and information like this could likely prove fatal if false."

"I know. But like I said, I checked everything Sasuke gave is with my own sources first. I am about ninety percent certain this information is true, but we'll keep an eye open anyway."

"It's rare that you're that sure." Naruto remarked, though he didn't look back to grin at his teacher.

"It's rare that I have an insider's information to compare to my own." Jiraiya returned. He glanced over at Izayoi, the only member who had not spoken a word since leaving Konoha. The girl only nodded when he gave an order, listened when he spoke but never said anything back. Obviously, the Mist had trained her to never question her orders. A good military doctrine, but it left little space for being human.

Shizune was now traveling at Jiraiya's side, her hands quickly moving in a sign-language that Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade had developed when they were kids. Apparently Tsunade had taught her that as well. A good means of silent and understandable communications, but one he hadn't used in nearly twenty years now.

_Have you noticed how Izayoi-san keeps looking at Naruto-kun?_ The message was. Jiraiya shook his head; he had been traveling at the front of the group, the two Jinchuuriki in the center. He hadn't been able to notice such a small gesture.

_Her eyes keep seeking him out, but she looks confused_. Yes, that would fit with Sakura's report. Something was going on with the girl, but no-one knew what. Jiraiya only nodded, signaling acceptance.

"One more thing," Jiraiya said, reaching into his coat and extracting four small pieces of paper. He handed them out to everyone before continuing. "Those seals I just gave you are designed to suppress chakra. They'll hide your chakra signature completely, so to anyone who sees us we'll be just another civilian walking by. Not even the best sensors will find us now. However, this also means that we can't use Ninjutsu. We can use it to augment our physical abilities, but any chakra that goes outside of our body will be blocked. After we rest, attach the seal to the back of your hand, so it'll be easy to remove."

Again the three people nodded, before Naruto pointed to the side. A little distance to the side a perfectly-shaped cave was waiting, a good place for them to rest. With a nod of his head, Jiraiya directed the team to go there. They would sleep and eat and do whatever else they needed now. As soon as they woke, they would have to be on the way and they couldn't afford to leave marks while traveling in an enemy nation anymore.

When they woke, Jiraiya would finally have to get ready to do what he had been planning for over twenty years.

He would finally kill his best friend.

* * *

Beta Note: Kushin eX here, telling you all that this chapter has been beta'd by me.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think.


	53. Chapter 53

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto, it all belongs to someone else.

* * *

Kabuto wiped the sweat off of Orochimaru's head again, taking his temperature with his other hand. The white-skinned man was still burning up, but the temperature was a little lower then it had been the day before.

"Your fever is beginning to break, Orochimaru-sama." The medic informed his master. "However, it will still be a considerable time before you will be fully recovered."

Kabuto had quickly gone to work on Orochimaru after they had escaped the stadium, drawing out Jiraiya's venom, but that had apparently been a mistake; when Kabuto had extracted the poison from Orochimaru's blood, a second, much more potent, venom activated. It had taken all of Kabuto's and Orochimaru's combined knowledge on poisons to safely extract the lethal substance without killing it's host.

Jiraiya, as Orochimaru had always said, never failed to surprise.

Even so, now that the poison was extracted, Orochimaru was still left far too weak. Too weak to properly defend himself, a perfect chance for an assassination attempt. That was why Kabuto had stationed no less than five guards outside Orochimaru's door with orders to kill anyone who approached without his express permission.

"Here, Orochimaru-sama, drink this." Kabuto gently raised his master's head and poured a small cup of medicine into Orochimaru's mouth. "It took me some time to create it, but this medicine should remove the remnants of poison from your system. You'll have to take it four to five times a day until all traces of the poison are removed, then begin strengthening your immune system again. It will be some time before you are fully recovered, maybe a week or two, but by this afternoon I think you should start doing some small exercises. Movement will be good for you; it'll help the antidote flow around more effectively."

"Yes, Ka-Kabuto." Orochimaru weakly replied. Kabuto had kept him drugged up enough that he didn't feel the pain of the toxin, but it had rendered Orochimaru nearly delusional. Kabuto hoped that the five shinobi standing outside the door would be enough to stop attackers. Orochimaru would be nearly defenseless by himself.

As Kabuto was tucking Orochimaru in again, checking on several other things at the same time, the door opened and a messenger came in. standing just inside the door, the masked man kept his silence until Kabuto gave a nod.

"Sir, we've just received word from our outposts." He began, holding the message out in front of him to indicate it was true. "Large groups of enemy shinobi have been spotted closing in on our location quickly."

The man handed Kabuto the message, still encrypted, and Kabuto immediately turned towards the large map of the country that Orochimaru had pinned to his wall. Reading the message himself, Kabuto quickly realized what was going on. Locating the scout's position on the map, Kabuto was thinking fast. If a group of shinobi was seen, that probably meant a much larger army was on approach, and from the position of the guard it would seem that–

Another knock on the door and a second messenger came in, looking alarmed.

"Sir, new messages from our outposts, a large force of enemy shinobi is detected moving towards the main village and a second safe house."

"I knew it." Kabuto sighed, the closest he would ever come to cursing, then turned around to the messengers. "Enemy forces are amassing inside our borders. They'll strike at all our safe houses and the main village itself at once. Send word by the fastest courier pigeons; tell them to prepare for a full-scale attack."

It was probably too late already, but Kabuto had to try. The village was an important strategic pawn in Orochimaru's hands. Not only was it placed in a defensible position, it also provided much of Orochimaru's fortune, granted him the means of creating an army loyal to him and provided both Orochimaru and Kabuto with test subjects for their experiments.

If the village and all the safe houses were hit at the same time, the loss would be crippling. Orochimaru would become a lone man with powerful enemies instead of the leader of a powerful army with strong enemies.

Only after the messengers were gone did the thought strike Kabuto that there were civilians in the village as well, including someone he had recently taken as his lover.

"Oh well." The bespectacled medic mused to himself, "It's never risk-free to live in a shinobi village."

XxX

The sun was beginning to set, but Jiraiya slightly averted his eyes to avoid being blinded by the sight. In each of their hiding places, his team members would be doing the same. So far, they had completely managed to avoid detection, avoiding enemy squads by hiding for a time. Ambushing and killing an enemy squad hadn't been an option; if anyone noticed the deaths, the entire area would go into high alert.

Now, however, they had finally found the entrance to Orochimaru's lair. It was hidden underground, just like most of Orochimaru's bases, and the entrance was brilliantly hidden in the shadow of a large tree. Jiraiya had to admit that it was a masterpiece; if they hadn't followed the messenger entering the base almost an hour ago, they would have spent hours trying to find the door.

Following the messenger in hadn't been possible last time, because an enemy patrol chose that exact moment to appear. So, instead of trying to force their way in and activate all sorts of alarms, Jiraiya had ordered his squad to hide in the area, avoid detection and wait until the door was opened again.

A small tingle at the back of Jiriaya's head made him slowly, wearily turn around. Extending his senses as far as he could without using a Ninjutsu to aid him, Jiraiya scanned the surrounding area. Finally he heard the voice.

"I'm telling you, I smell something." A female voice was saying, somewhere behind Jiraiya, standing in the clearing. Another piece of brilliance, that; instead of creating the trapdoor to the base in the clearing, it had been made a small distance away. Most people searching for the entrance to the base would be looking all over the clearing, rather then the entire forest.

"I know, you said that before." A gruff male voice answered. Slowly crawling, careful not to disturb any twigs or leaves, Jiraiya managed to get a look at the two shinobi who were so close to them. Both were sound ninja, wearing the ski-mask that every single Sound Ninja wore; nothing able to distinguish them from other Sound Ninja.

But apparently the female shinobi had enhanced her sense of smell, probably to a level similar to most Inuzuka's from Konoha. Avoiding detection by smell was one of the hardest parts of staying hidden. Fortunately, most shinobi had difficulty detecting by smell, so for the most part the problem was void.

But if she could detect them, then there would be hell to pay. This close to the entrance, they couldn't afford to be detected. Silently, Jiraiya gave a signal, knowing that Naruto was somewhere where he could see it. Three shorts swings of a bush, without noise, but also without a breeze.

The two Sounds had also seen the bush move, but as they turned to investigate the bush, Naruto silently landed just behind them and attacked. Swinging his arms, Naruto hit the woman on the throat, nearly snapping her windpipe, but at least making her stumble backwards. In the next instant he had grabbed the man's head and viciously spun it around, snapping his neck. Before the man had dropped to the ground, Naruto also grabbed the woman's head and repeated the motion.

Both were dead within a heartbeat and without a sound. Getting out of his cover, Jiraiya lifted the woman's body, while Naruto took the male. Settling on a new hiding place, both master and student quickly went through the pockets of the dead, hoping to find something of use, but neither had carried anything of the sort.

Leaving the bodies hidden in a trench, covered from sight and smell by a large quantity of mud, Naruto and Jiraiya headed back to their hiding places. Just as they got back into hiding, the trapdoor was slowly opened. The same messenger who had gone in earlier now appeared again, got out into the field and closed the door. Just before it closed, Jiraiya saw a brief, almost undetectable object fly towards the door.

The messenger never noticed the object, turning around as quickly as he could and leaping out of the area. Shizune had followed Jiraiya's orders perfectly, just as he had hoped she would. They couldn't kill the messenger, there was no telling if there was a system in place where he had to meet back with guards at a certain time or not, but it was an unnecessary risk to take. A quick needle in the trapdoor to prevent it shutting completely was enough to gain entry.

When the messenger cleared, Jiraiya again gave a signal – this time perfectly imitating the sound of a bird landing on a tree, crying once and then taking off again – and he moved forward. Opening the trapdoor, Jiraiya quickly inspected it for booby traps or anything similar, but found nothing.

Silent as death itself, Team Jiraiya lowered themselves into the base, removing the needle and closing the door again. The first part of their mission was complete.

XxX

As Kabuto walked through the base, heading to the deepest research facilities, he could hear his own footsteps echo throughout the hall. No-one ever tried to get in this deep in the facility, other then Orochimaru, Kabuto or one of their test subjects. No guards were needed, thanks to the extensive array of traps, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu that Orochimaru had used to protect it.

He didn't pay the sound or the traps any mind as he walked. He had long since memorized the path and how to prevent any harm from coming to him. Instead, as he walked, Kabuto let his mind race, analyzing the situation.

"It's obvious the attack is a distraction." He concluded as he walked into a large chamber filled with tanks, dumping the package he had been carrying on the floor near the door. He had, lately, developed a habit of speaking out loud to himself when he was alone. "The army is probably meant to wipe out the Village of the Sound, but an army can't kill someone like Orochimaru-sama. He'd flee before he gets overpowered and they know it. So, if the army is here, that means an advanced assassination squad will already be in place. They will try to kill Orochimaru-sama and based on the size of the army, this is cooperation between various villages."

It was, of course, very possible. The Sand and Leaf had been allies for a long time and their bond had only gotten stronger since Gaara became the Kazekage. All five Great Nations had joined forces to take on Akatsuki and, surely, Orochimaru-sama was almost as large a threat as the Akatsuki itself. A joint strike force would make sense.

Unfortunately, that also meant that assassination squad would consist of ninja of various countries. And in that case, even the guards outside of Orochimaru's chambers wouldn't be enough.

"Well, I did come down here after all. It's not for nothing." Kabuto muttered, turning to the large tank in the center of the room. As he approached, a face appeared in the water, smiling shark-like teeth at the silver-haired man. Looking straight back into the man's half-solid eyes, Kabuto explained. "The situation is at it's worst. Orochimaru-sama is weak, Sasuke-kun isn't present and enemies are on their way. With Orochimaru-sama down, leadership falls to me and I have a proposition for you."

The face in the tank grinned broader, nodding. Again Kabuto considered whether this was wise, but he had few alternatives. Orochimaru was too weak to move safely and it would take several hours for his medicine to take effect. Time was their enemy and there was one tool, living here in this tank, which could buy all the time they need. Unfortunately, this tool had also tried no less than five assassinations on Orochimaru himself.

"I will let you out and you will guard Orochimaru-sama with all your might." Kabuto stated, but the face in the tank didn't move. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, Kabuto paused for a breath before continuing. "In return for this service, you may toy with any infiltrators you catch all you want, you will be allowed an additional three days out of the tank and five of your toys to do with as you please. In addition, we have secured a certain item that you expressed interest in. Serve us well and you may keep it when you play."

Of course, playing and toys were only the words that this creature had chosen. Kabuto would call it what it was; torture and sacrifices. But there were few as skilled at flushing out infiltrators or buying time as this man.

The form in the tank grinned till it's face threatened to split in two, but still nodded vigorously. Kabuto moved over to a control unit some distance away from the tank, then entered a code and pulled the lever. As he did so, the glass of the tank was raised, spilling all the water on the ground. A form rose out of the water, but Kabuto paid it little heed as it become more and more solid.

"I've placed some clothes for you near the door." He finally said, "Get dressed, then get upstairs. You'll get the sword you so wanted. But remember, Suigetsu-kun; try to kill Orochimaru-sama now, and I will kill you myself. I am one of the few people with the knowledge on how to do it."

XxX

As silently as he possibly could, Jiraiya entered the room, moving undetected past two Sound nin who were eating their dinner, and into the next one, this room held several beds and it held what he was looking for. Underneath a pillow, just as the earlier message had indicated, lay a map of the entire base marked with important locations. Whoever Tsunade's inside-agent was, he was very thorough in creating this map. Every location of importance – armories, food storage, guard positions, potential hiding places – was marked in a clear method.

Taking the map, Jiraiya carefully peeked out the door to see how the two enemy ninja were doing. Both were still focused on their food, rather than anything else. Again being as silent and undetectable as he could be, Jiraiya sneaked past them again, reaching the hallway and then made his way over to where the rest of his squad waited. When he got there, he unrolled the map, showing it to them.

Over a dozen chambers were indicated as Orochimaru's, so the snake was as paranoid as ever, never staying in one room long enough for traps to be placed. Quickly and quietly, Jiraiya gave his orders.

"Memorize this map, we won't be making further contact with the inside agent until we either run into him or this mission is over." He started. Then he pointed at a point on the map. "We'll split up into two teams here. Naruto and Shizune, you go here, while Izayoi and I go here. Shizune's in charge. Search out the food stores and poison them, while looking for Orochimaru. When you find him, don't try to take him on alone. We'll meet at this point in two hours then move in to take out Orochimaru together."

As he spoke, Jiraiya pointed out the points of the map he intended.

"If any guards come around, try to remain undetected, but if you think they're on to you, take them out as quickly and quietly as you can. If a group is in trouble, Naruto or Izayoi will remove the Chakra-Suppression-Seal to notify the others. It's risky, but at this point speed is important as well. Our first priority is to take down Orochimaru, poisoning the food is secondary."

All three ninja nodded then stood up. Jiraiya rolled the map up and placed it inside his pocket. Without another word, they slipped out of the door, and moved further into the base.

XxX

'There's nothing here.' Karin thought with irritation as she stood amongst the four other guards, just outside of Orochimaru's door. Kabuto had ordered her to guard outside the door and warn as soon as anything went wrong, but so far Karin hadn't detected anyone or anything in the base that shouldn't be there.

Of course, the entire place was filled to the brim with shinobi, making it impossible for Karin to keep track of all the different chakra signatures around, but there were no new or unfamiliar chakras around, meaning there were no infiltrators. Still, she didn't resist her orders or speak up to Kabuto. The medic would probably just smile at her, say she's right and either ignore her or stab her in the heart.

He was scary like that, sometimes.

A door on the other side of the hallway opened and Karin had to struggle to suppress her irritation as Suigetsu walked out of the door. This time, it was the real Suigetsu, not Sasuke-kun in a disguise and for some reason Karin had difficulty deciding on what reaction she would use. In the past, Suigetsu had been a source of great irritation for her, but when Sasuke had been acting like him… the two images mixed in her mind and confused her.

Suigetsu was wearing his usual outfit again, a purple sleeveless, tight-fitting shirt and grey, loose pants. He had one belt, keeping two large water bottles attached to him, but almost all of Karin's attention was on the absolutely huge sword that he had stabbed into the ground next to him.

"How the hell did you get that monstrosity?" Karin found herself asking as Suigetsu squatted down next to the weapon, reaching for one of his water bottles. "Who the hell tries to use a thing like that?"

"Bite me, you're insulting a great legacy there bitch." Suigetsu nearly spat back, his infuriating grin back on his face. "Kabuto had someone retrieve it a while back, after I mentioned I wanted it. It's a memento of one of my mentors. He got killed a couple years back and whoever killed him was kind enough to leave this beauty on his grave. Well, I think that'd be a huge waste; a weapon like this is meant to be used until it breaks. Hell, even then it shouldn't be discarded."

"Well, just be careful when swinging that thing around." Karin finally said, though even to her own ears it sounded weak. "If you're not, you might start killing us instead of any potential intruders."

"Yeah, 'cause it'd be _such_ a waste to kill you wouldn't it?" The predatory look in his face was almost enough to make Karin back away, but Suigetsu's bark was always worse than his bite. If he was insulting and threatening, there was little chance of him actually killing you. If he wanted you dead, he'd just strike without warning.

"Well, you can keep watch on the west hallway, along with those two." Karin ordered. Kabuto _had_ put her in command of the guards, with orders to coordinate them if anyone attacked. Suigetsu, however, didn't move to the position she had appointed.

"Like hell I'll listen to you." He announced as he stood up and pulled his sword out of the ground. "I'm not meant to fight in cramped hallways like these and no way am I staying near you. I'll go look for these intruders. If they're here, I'll find them. If they're not, I'm not wasting my time out of the tank by sitting near _you_."

"Wait, Suigetsu!" Karin yelled after him. "Kabuto said –"

"Kabuto said I'd get my reward so long as I didn't kill the damn snake and protected him. I'm more into a pro-active defense, not sitting here and waiting to be ambushed."

Before Karin could say more, Suigetsu had moved around the corner, quickly moving away from her.

XxX

It was almost time to rendezvous with Naruto and Shizune, Jiraiya realized, as he and Izayoi slipped past another guard post. So far, the duo had checked every single room indicated on the map, but Orochimaru was in none of the chambers they had inspected. However, they had found the four rooms indicated as food supplies and managed to poison over half of the contents in each room. It wouldn't be pretty, if they were still around, but this was just another act of war. One that would never reach the pages of history.

So far, Jiraiya had been pleasantly surprised and very impressed with Izayoi. Most shinobi only learned how to be sneaky by usage of some chakra-using technique, rendering them invisible or something similar. Jiraiya himself had a few techniques like that, but when a sensory-type ninja was around, it was like lighting a beacon and yelling your position to them.

Thus, Jiraiya had insisted on good old-fashioned no-chakra stealth to sneak into the base. And the girl had been even better then Jiraiya could have hoped.

'Of course she would be,' Jiraiya thought as they ducked into another room, 'the Mizukage herself had an interest in her. You can say a lot about Takami Sessha, but she's no fool. And she's an expert assassin herself.'

The map indicated that a large room was coming just around the corner, one that would be full of enemy ninja, keeping a look at all directions. Sneaking past through the room itself would be impossible, so instead Jiraiya led Izayoi into a nearby room. Once in the room, he pushed up a piece of the ceiling, revealing the foundation of the floor above them. Very little room, especially for a man Jiraiya's size, but it would have to do.

Carefully balancing himself on the beams there, avoiding any areas that would make sounds and thus instantly betray him, Jiraiya entered the cramped space. Izayoi was right behind him, also careful to test every space where she placed her weight. Ever so slowly, the two made their way towards the large, enemy-filled room. Neither made a sound.

They were well over halfway through the room, checking down periodically through the small cracks between tiles, when something interesting caught Jiraiya's eye. A familiar shinobi entered the room down below; Suigetsu – though this was probably the real one, as opposed to someone wearing a disguise – had entered the room carrying a massive weapon. Almost as soon as he entered, he glanced around the room before looking up at the ceiling.

Straight at the location where Jiraiya and Izayoi were staying.

He held his gaze at the spot for a second, and then his hand started to move, flipping the sword around. Jiraiya didn't wait any longer then that; they were caught and now they had to act quickly. With a signal at Izayoi, the black-haired kunoichi pulled the seal away from her hand, allowing her the use of Ninjutsu once again, and immediately started forming seals.

Down below, almost every single ninja looked up as well, alerted by the sudden appearance of the chakra. They were too late.

"Ice Element; Ice Needles." Izayoi's dull monotone voice announced as she kicked down one of the panels and released her attack. Immediately a multitude of ice needles, almost like a vicious rain, appeared and cut into the ranks of enemy ninja. Those near the center of the room – by far the most enemy ninja – were killed on the spot, Ice Needles piercing skulls or hearts or stomachs.

Jiraiya jumped down as well, ready to use one of his own Ninjutsu's to aid the girl's strike, but there was no need. In a corner, far away from the rain of Ice Needles, a single figure sat and made rapid movements before holding out what seemed like a piece of paper. No less then fifty wolf-like creatures literally jumped out of the parchment and started attacking the Sound Ninja. Their backs all turned towards their new attacker, many more shinobi died before they could turn around and those who did were pushed into the rain of Ice Needles.

Within ten seconds, seventy enemy ninja lay dead on the floor. Only three others were still on their feet. Suigetsu had used his massive sword to block all the Ice Needles, and had beaten two of the wolf-creatures with his bare hands while staying behind the sword. On another side of the room, two other ninja, possibly Jounin, had reacted quickly enough to defend themselves from the painted wolves.

Looking into the corner, Jiraiya saw who he had been looking for; Tsunade's agent, an expert ANBU infiltrator, was hunched down in the corner, nodded once at them and then proceeded to run up the walls and towards them. As he did so, several other painted creatures appeared to keep the enemy busy, but all were cut down before long.

"Sai, ANBU Infiltration Squad." The young man introduced himself. "I've finally learned where Orochimaru is hiding today, but first we'll need to deal with these two."

Down below, Suigetsu had jumped and was fast approaching them, while the two Jounin finished off the last of the painted creatures. While the ink was still falling to the ground, the two turned towards Jiraiya's party as well, obviously ready to fight, but they never got further then that.

An almost invisible disc, as wide as a hand, flew towards the pair of Jounin, one aimed for each of their necks. The disc impacted at the same time as half a dozen precise needles struck them in the spine. Naruto's Wind Shuriken cut off the Sound Ninja's heads, while Shizune's needles struck their nerves for good measure. They were dead before they could even realize it.

Jiraiya turned towards Suigetsu; arms raised to defend himself from the younger man's strike and ready to counter, but before Suigetsu reached them a black blur crashed into his side.

"Go!" Naruto commanded as he slammed Suigetsu into a wall. "I'll deal with him, you all get going!"

XxX

Karin gasped; taking an involuntary step back, as she suddenly felt two absolutely huge chakras burst into existence nearby. And they were _near_; the chakras exploded into existence literally around the corner. The same corner that Suigetsu had moved to mere minutes before. An instant after the first chakra came into existence, nearly every other chakra signature nearby faded out of existence.

Whoever this was, they had just killed dozens of the Sound's most reliable ninja in seconds.

'How in the hell did they get this close without me detecting them?' Karin questioned herself, before realizing she had to speak up. The other guards had not yet noticed the surprise attack. Just as she opened her mouth, she recognized the two large chakra signatures. Both were a unique kind of chakra that she had found only in one person each, a unique mix of evil, power, warmth and cold to it's feel.

Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha and Izayoi of the Mist.

With an effort, Karin forced her mouth open, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer force of their chakra. Suigetsu had also engaged, his own more-then-impressive reserves joining to confuse her nearly overwhelmed sixth sense further.

As she finally opened her jaw to speak, however, it was already too late. A thick, dark-green gas was suddenly appearing from around one corner, spreading much faster then would have been normal in an underground passage.

"Wind element; Clearance Orb." Karin quickly flipped through the three seals required then activated the technique, creating an orb-shape of clean, chakra-protected air around her. The other guards tried to activate similar techniques, but they were stopped by something, making it impossible for them to protect themselves from the toxic fumes.

Looking around at the others, Karin barely managed to see the small needles stuck into arms, hands or shoulders, preventing movements. She immediately jumped to the side, only just in time to see another set of needles stab into the wall behind her.

'Damn, those needles are coated in a paint of some sort. They're near impossible to see.'

Through the fog, Karin saw a figure move and she moved through instinct honed by survival. Ducking to the side, Karin pulled a short sword out of the holster from one of the dead guards and skewered the strange, black creature that had come at her.

As the creature fell apart, a blast of wind erupted from behind Karin, blowing away the remnants of the toxic smoke. Now that the wind was gone, Karin could see who stood before her.

The great Sannin Jiraiya himself, though even now Karin couldn't sense his presence, stood at their center, clearly the leader of this unit. At one side, the black-haired assistant of the Hokage stood, each hand clenched and holding the painted needles. At his other side stood Izayoi, her long black hair nearly reaching the ground and the usual frosty look on her face. The fourth member of their party was the surprise though.

Sai had come to Orochimaru's service some years before, defecting from Konoha in the process and giving Orochimaru valuable intel on the updates of Konoha's security system and the ANBU recruitment. Thanks to that information, Orochimaru had managed to plant his own informants in Konoha's ANBU force. Apparently, he had been a double agent.

"Stand ready Karin." Kabuto's voice said from behind her. She repositioned herself to look behind her and was surprised. Kabuto stood in the doorway, hands already glowing and ready to fight, but behind him stood the source of the blast of wind. Orochimaru had risen from his bed and, breathing very badly, sweating profoundly and looking even paler then usual.

Karin looked back at the squad of assassins, dropping her Clearance Orb at the same time. Orochimaru's Great Breakthrough technique had removed all traces of the toxic vapor, making the air safe to breathe again. Just as she turned around, however, another of Sai's painted monsters charged at her, forcing her to the side. Raising her short sword again, Karin tried to fight the creature off, but with limited success.

This was bad. This was very, very bad. The last thing Karin could see before a second Ink Monster closed in on her was Jiraiya jumping straight into Kabuto, hands already flying as the sage engaged the medic.

* * *

Beta Note: All betad and certified by me, Kushin eX.

Please leave a review telling me what you think.


	54. Chapter 54

Disclaimer: still don't own a thing. And I don't have enough money to make suing worth it.

* * *

Naruto's jump had been strong enough to push both himself and Suigetsu into a wall, despite the large space between them. Landing on the vertical surface, Suigetsu pushed back against Naruto, swinging his massive sword and sending the blond flying.

"You'll deal with me?" The blue-haired swordsman sounded amused by the statement. "Oh yeah, your confidence is waaaay too big indeed." He immediately pushed off from the wall, sword already swinging for Naruto's neck. "Time to see if your head will float!"

Still in mid-air, Naruto raised his right arm, chakra already spinning to form his Storm Shield, and blocked the heavy blade. Uninjured, Naruto was still thrown back by the force of the blow, but he landed on the ground without a problem. Suigetsu was immediately upon him, slashing vertically in an attempt to cleave the blond in two.

However, Naruto had already sidestepped the blow and pulled back his right arm at his side. Standing next to the blade, Naruto stepped forward and struck. His right hand struck the hilt of the Decapitating Carving Knife at full force, this time sending Suigetsu flying.

"Looks like you're the better flier." Naruto commented as Suigetsu landed, immediately bringing his sword back into position. "Guess your head must be full of hot air as well then."

Both shinobi dashed forward, ready to strike, but Naruto ducked underneath Suigetsu's blow at the last second, then stepped to the side to escape the second blow, jumped over the third and once again struck at Suigetsu, but like before the blue-haired boy raised the sword and defended himself with it's handle. This time the punch wasn't strong enough to send him flying; instead, Naruto opened his hand, grabbing the hilt of the sword himself, and swung himself around it.

Moving with a strange flowing motion, Suigetsu ducked underneath Naruto's attack and managed to place his shoulder in Naruto's stomach, flipping the blond head over heel as he regained breathing space.

"Wow, you're much better then I'd have thought after what Sasuke and Orochimaru told me about you." Suigetsu hefted the massive weapon to his shoulder, casually holding it over his shoulder. "You're reading my moves like I'm in slow motion. Well, guess I should expect that from someone who's faced three of the Swordsmen. Too bad your movements are so slow; you won't hit me like that!"

"You say I'm slow?" Naruto asked in return, easing up in his stance for a second to roll his shoulders, and then crouched down again. "It's obvious that you have never wielded that weapon in a real fight. Your movements with it are so crude and awkward it's almost funny."

"And a smart mouth too! Too bad you lack a sense of humor."

"You're a talkative fellow, aren't you?"

"Yup," Raising the sword, Suigetsu held it in both hands and his face broke into a creepy grin. "Hozuki Suigetsu, pleased to chop you!"

With that greeting, Suigetsu's arms suddenly increased to three times their previous size as he dashed forward. In response, red chakra flared up around Naruto's body, making him seem aflame.

"Uzumaki Naruto, pleased to beat you!"

XxX

As the last remnants of smoke faded from the area, Jiraiya was already striking at Kabuto with all his abilities. Using two kunai, the white-haired sennin spun, stabbed and slashed at the medic, careful to stay out of reach of Kabuto's hands.

'This kid managed to bring Tsunade to her knees.' Jiraiya reminded himself as he stepped back from Kabuto's Chakra Scalpels. 'I can't leave him unattended; right now he's the biggest threat.'

Orochimaru, sick as he was, was still a dangerous man, but his physical abilities had been reduced to nearly nothing. Kabuto was the dangerous fighter here and, so long as he was still able to move, it wasn't safe to move in on the Snake.

Behind him, Jiraiya could sense what was happening; Shizune had launched a barrage of needles at Orochimaru, while Sai and Izayoi had already focused their attention on the red-haired girl, Karin. All three Sound shinobi quickly retreated into Orochimaru's room, moving the fight away from the doorway.

Karin was moving back slowly, keeping up his guard as Jiraiya rained attacks at him. Shizune had now thrown her needles at Karin, striking her in the arms, while Izayoi used her ice techniques at the same time. The redhead's arms were rendered useless, while her legs were immediately frozen in place. Sai was only a heartbeat behind them, his short blade slashing through her throat.

As Karin's head was still reeling back from the killing blow, Orochimaru lowered himself to the ground.

"GET OUT!" Jiraiya immediately yelled at his teammates, realizing what was going on, but already Orochimaru pulled a wire hidden in the room. Everyone but Orochimaru immediately burst into movement as large spikes appeared throughout the room. Kabuto danced in between the spikes with practiced ease, while Karin's dead body was skewered even further by the mechanical weapons.

As the onslaught of weapons came to an end, Jiraiya risked a quick glance to see how the rest of the team was doing. Shizune had evaded almost all the weapons, suffering only two shallow cuts that she was already healing. Izayoi had used her Ice techniques to shield herself, but still had some cuts and scraps on her arms and legs. Sai was obviously the worst off, but even he had escaped with relatively few injuries. One of the spikes had pierced through his leg, but the infiltrator had already cut himself free and quickly took a blood-pill.

'Odd.' Jiraiya thought as none of his team members succumbed to poison. 'There must be a slow-working toxic agent on them, there's no way Orochimaru didn't complete his trap.'

While Team Jiraiya was busy staying alive throughout the spikes, Kabuto had moved through an obviously memorized path and was now crouching next to Orochimaru, his hands soaked in blood and moving through seals. Next to him, Orochimaru has a deep slash running through his left arm, but he didn't seem to care.

"Ninja Arts; Summoning." Kabuto announced as he slammed both hands into the ground. With Orochimaru's blood used, ten great, life-size snakes appeared, each already moving to attack.

XxX

Again Naruto easily sidestepped Suigetsu's attack, and then stepped again, before jumping over the sword and striking at Suigetsu's blind side. Like the last two times he had managed to strike at the man, the area that was struck exploded into water, leaving a hole, but Suigetsu simply ignored it and attacked again.

This time Naruto backed off, jumping back several times to gain space. Basic physical attacks weren't working, even when he was using chakra to enhance his punching power. Suigetsu was somehow immune to physical attacks, and, despite Naruto's earlier taunt, he was far too skilled a fighter to stay that close while Naruto was thinking.

"I can understand why Shundei-sempai had trouble fighting you, Naruto-san." Suigetsu said as the water flowed back to his body, closing the hole Naruto had created. Placing the sword point-down on the floor, Suigetsu pulled out one of his water bottles and quickly gulped down it's contents. "You're using Kisame-sempai's trick to predict my attacks, but aside from that you pay attention to the rest of my body. That allows you to see almost all my moves coming in advance, which is why you dance around so easily. Man, Sasuke really underestimated you, didn't he?"

"Did he now?" Naruto asked, forming two Wind Shuriken and throwing them. "How so?" the shuriken, like Naruto had expected, simply passed through Suigetsu's body, the cuts immediately restoring themselves afterwards. The swordsman didn't even look up to check out the wound.

"He said you're a completely incompetent idiot who doesn't know the pointy end of a sword from the pommel. Guess the joke's on him. Tell me, did you make him suffer before you killed him?" The very idea seemed to bring Suigetsu amusement, but Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he asked a question of his own.

"That sword," He started, "How did you get it?"

"This?" Suigetsu raised the heavy sword with one hand again to show it off. "It belonged to Zabuza-sempai, but when he was killed, you idiots left his sword standing there. Kabuto had someone retrieve it for me, so I could use it in his stead. This is a beautiful weapon, meant to carve people up, not stand in the mud collecting rust. Don't you agree?"

"So…" Naruto couldn't control himself, his hands balling into fists at his side. "You desecrated their graves… just for a weapon!"

"And what's wrong with that? It's a better purpose for this then standing around. It's a weapon, not a gravestone."

"SHUT UP! MAELSTROM!" Thrusting his right hand out, Naruto let the chakra-disc he held there spin at maximum speed, creating a handheld tornado in a split second. The stream of wind reached Suigetsu and immediately began tearing him apart, but Suigetsu didn't even try to resist. Instead, he simply grinned as his body turned liquid and the water was blown across the room by Naruto's attack.

When the wind died down again, the pools of water quickly gathered as Suigetsu rose from the ground, still dripping wet.

"Damn bastard." Naruto muttered. "I should have let Izayoi fight you; she'd finish you in two seconds flat."

"Well, guess you're the fool and I've got luck then." Suigetsu grinned as he brought the Decapitating Carving Knife around for another strike. Instead of diving underneath the attack, Naruto braced himself and raised his arm – already cloaked in the Storm Shield – and blocked the blow.

XxX

'So this is the real purpose of the spikes.' Jiraiya thought with a sense of worry as the ten snakes shot forward. The spikes made it nearly impossible for a human to move around properly, but the snakes had no such problems. They slithered in between the weapons as fast as an arrow and they could strike with an equal speed.

Three snakes attacked Jiraiya at once, but they all died before they got anywhere near the sennin's body. Two were cut open by his kunai; the third was skewered by his Hair Pin Needle technique. Sai, despite being wounded, quickly drew a set of his own snakes, countering the summons, but they were much weaker. Still, they did their job in slowing the summons down.

Four more were destroyed by Izayoi's Ice Needles, while Sai's Ink Snakes held them down. The remaining three snakes all rushed towards Shizune, but Jiraiya's attention was focused on the two main enemies. Orochimaru was making heaving sounds, so he was preparing to use another of his puking-style techniques. At his side, Kabuto was making seals once again and, his hands now glowing a pale yellow-red, while Kusanagi appeared from Orochimaru's mouth.

"QUICK, GET AWAY!" Jiraiya warned his team members again as the ground below them started to glow in the same pale yellow-red colors. Shizune managed to jump aside, her own hands now aglow with Chakra Scalpels while she killed two of the summons. Izayoi and Sai were less fortunate.

Along with the last summoned snake, they were trapped by the Complete Paralysis Seal, rendered unable to move or even breathe. The last snake was frozen an instant before it would have sprung at Shizune, also doomed to suffocate to death.

'Damn, unless we disable this seal quickly, they're going to have brain-damage or worse.' Shizune also knew the same; Complete Paralysis was a somewhat basic, but very effective trapping technique, often used to incapacitate entire groups. Orochimaru's traps had been well-prepared. Instead of outnumbering the Snake with a four-on-one, the odds had now been brought back to two-on-two.

Shizune threw a smoke bomb, blinding the entire room, but Orochimaru used his Great Breakthrough, weak though it was, almost immediately to clear the smoke. Still, in that half-second, Jiraiya managed to gain a better position for himself.

"Hair Pin Needle Rain." The Hair Needles shot forwards, skewering Orochimaru's arms and legs and literally pinning him to the wall. "And up next: Swamp of the Underworld."

Almost the entire area, save for where Sai and Izayoi were frozen, immediately transformed into a swamp, quickly absorbing the spikes in the room, and sinking Kabuto into the ground. Shizune, who had been told how to keep standing on top of the technique by Jiraiya, immediately moved in on the other medic, hands still glowing with Chakra scalpels. Kabuto didn't even try to stop her as Shizune struck at his shoulders and then chest. Instead, he merely smiled at her.

"Stealing my ideas now, Shizune-san? That's not very polite." Even now he still sounded relaxed and pleasant. "Unfortunately, my regeneration ability allows me to heal the small cuts you make in my body. This technique is, in effect, useless against me. Here's how it's properly used."

As quick as a snake, Kabuto's hands shot out and grabbed at Shizune's arms. Despite her outstanding reaction time, Shizune was still only able to free one arm and barely managed to hold a scream in as Kabuto's Chakra Scalpel shredded all the tissues in her left elbow.

Jiraiya turned to aid Tsunade's assistant, but in the same instant he had to jump back as Kusanagi shot through the air. Orochimaru, weak as he was, still had some fight left in him.

XxX

"You know, you are one annoying little bastard." Suigetsu commented as Naruto again ducked underneath his sword's slash, and then struck at Suigetsu's leg. The lack of support did bring the missing nin out of balance, but it did little else. Naruto brought his fist through Suigetsu's head, and then jumped back just as the sword was brought around for another strike.

"Well, you're a pain yourself. I don't know if this is a Bloodline Limit or something else, but it's a really annoying ability you've got!"

Suigetsu's head quickly reformed along with the rest of his body, but he was still soaked and this time he wasn't drying up.

"Time to take this up another step." Suigetsu said, focusing his chakra into his arm's muscles for a second, then expanded them to nearly three times their original size. "Water Element: Great Water Arm."

"You tried that already." Naruto said as he closed the distance, a Rasengan glowing in his left hand. "You become stronger, but it doesn't help your speed."

Naruto came running head on this time, and Suigetsu immediately countered the head-on movement, stabbing sideways at the last second to where Naruto would dodge like the last three times. Instead, however, Naruto suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind him, slamming the Rasengan into Suigetsu's back.

"I'll take it up another step as well. How do you like my Shukuchi?" Naruto asked as Suigetsu was once again blown to peaces. The Decapitating Carving Knife was thrown to the side, but for once Suigetsu didn't immediately reclaim the weapon when he reformed.

"Damn, that is one impressive technique. I couldn't even see what you did there… but it's clear that it's a movement technique, not some kind of teleportation. I'm tired of this stalemate; I think I'll finish it with this, a technique I learned from Kisame-sempai.

Naruto looked up in surprise as Suigetsu formed seals then inhaled deeply.

"Water Element: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"

As Suigetsu exhaled, a mass of water shot out of his mouth, almost instantly submerging the room in a mass of water, even as Naruto was slammed into one of the walls.

'Damnit, I can barely hold my breath…' Naruto realized with a shock. 'And he's a true Water shinobi; he'll have a large advantage now. Not good.'

Also floating around in the water, the Decapitating Carving Knife was suddenly propelled forward, straight towards Naruto, who had no way of escaping the massive weapon while underwater.

XxX

'What is this feeling?' Izayoi wondered, unable to move or breathe, but her mind suddenly working at high speed. 'It's not hot or cold, but I feel… shivers… running through my body. Only… I can't shiver. What is this? Is this was Mizukage-sama is talking about when she mentions feeling annoyance? I have never… experienced anything like this. It is not pain, nor pleasure. I'm not burning or freezing, or bleeding, but I still have such a strange physical sensation.'

A massive wave of water crashed into the room, flooding it instantly and nearly crushing Izayoi under it's weight, but the Jinchuuriki didn't feel half as troubled by the pain as she did by these new sensations. Pain she was familiar with, it was an undeniable part of the shinobi life. These new emotions, if that was what they were, were something that the Ice Element user was unfamiliar with.

Unable to breathe or close her mouth, Izayoi was rendered even more helpless as the water flowed into her mouth, streaming into her lungs and stomach with nothing to stop it. The sensation of cold increased and Izayoi was suddenly having strange visions as ideas popped into her head. Ideas that went against all her training; ideas that told her to run, to escape from here, to breath in sweet air again and above all else… survive.

Over on the wall, Orochimaru's mouth opened again, much wider then should have been humanly possible. In one instant, while Jiraiya was still floating around in the sudden water and Shizune was still healing her arm, all tension vanished from Orochimaru's body as a large white mass shot out of the legendary ninja's mouth. Unable to turn her head, Izayoi could see no more of what happened.

Jiraiya performed a transformation technique, transforming into some sort of kappa-like version of himself and shot off after Orochimaru. Some way to the side, Kabuto was still stuck in the mud and trying to get out. Izayoi could see Shizune perform some seals, but the water slowed her movements, and a great white snake shot through the water and slammed into her back before she could finish whatever it was she did.

Blood darkened the water, giving the snake-creature a more demonic look to it, as Shizune gasped and her supply of air escaped. Orochimaru was still weak, even in this new form, but a snake had little difficulty moving through water. The great serpent reeled back, attempting to strike again, but Jiraiya was there and struck the creature from the side, now making it look directly at Izayoi.

In that instant, she realized for the first time what it was she was feeling. As she locked eyes with the great serpent, she felt fear for the first time in her life. If this kept up, she would die and something inside Izayoi wanted to prevent that at all cost. It was against everything her training had taught her, it was irrational and endangered the mission objective, but it was still there. Jiraiya swam past, his hands forming seals, but Izayoi saw nothing more.

'Why am I feeling this strange, what has happened to me?' Even Izayoi's thoughts sounded confused – perhaps even afraid – as her vision slowly darkened. She had run out of air, her consciousness fading fast. 'Ever since the tournament… no, ever since I met the Vessel of the Nine Tails. Uzumaki Naruto. What have you done to me? I feel so… strange.'

Everything was dark to Izayoi now, but instead of nothingness, she saw her most recent experiences, as if from someone else's eyes, and a wave of emotions washed over her.

_Naruto threatening her when Izayoi had been facing the Hyuuga girl and won. It was only a burst of chakra, but Izayoi had read a thousand meanings in that burst. Warmth, affection, danger, warning, fear, respect. So many meanings, broadcasted in a second. She had stopped her strike at the girl and instead of killing her, simply claimed a victory. Looking back, Izayoi realized that she had seen the worry in Naruto's heart and was touched. He was like her, a demon, an outcast, but still he protected others._

Somewhere, deep inside her being, Izayoi could feel a shake, but it wasn't physical.

_When Izayoi had fought against the traitor Suigetsu, she had been ordered to kill him at all costs. But, the man was not the real Suigetsu, and the Mizukage had known it from the start. It was a good imitation, but still not real. In the final moments of the match, Izayoi had been exhausted, wounded and bleeding, but she was preparing to finish the imposter off. She had been ordered to kill him and she would comply. Yet something had stopped her, instead of creating a weapon with her last chakra, she had protected herself, frozen her injuries and survived. Her mission had been a failure. Why was that?_

'The same as it is now.' Izayoi realized in hindsight. 'I feared death. I… am a failure as a shinobi. My emotions are not gone.'

Again she felt a presence deep in her being, stronger now, more present. Something strange was washing over her, but what?

_After she had been healed, quickly and only barely still alive, Izayoi had stood surprised at the finals. Uzumaki Naruto and Uch__iha Sasuke had fought. At first each other, then a new enemy and then each other again. The changing of allegiance, shifting from ally to enemy, was already odd to Izayoi. What was even stranger, even confusing, was how well the two worked together. Neither looked back or even worried about being attacked, because they fought together. It was unlike anything Izayoi had ever seen, even with Haruno Sakura standing at her side and explaining it. _

"_**So, they're back to being hostile to each other… but they're really best friends underneath that façade of hatred and hostility."**_

'Best friends? Such… strange words.'

The feelings inside her grew stronger, larger, and Izayoi's fear increased tenfold. What was going on? What was that sensation?

_She had looked on at the fight, but when she saw the scene now, she realized her strange facial expression. It had changed, into something more then concentration. Strange feelings had welled up inside her at the sight, but back then she hadn't acknowledged them or even realized they were there. How Naruto acted with his friends… this must be what it was like to be jealous. Jealous on how Naruto, someone so like herself, was so different… so much happier._

Suddenly, all the emotions she had ever heard about; read about or had seen in action made sense to her. Her own emotions, locked away and strange yet familiar to her, washed over her. And immediately she recognized the feelings that were coming form somewhere inside her. Someplace she knew was within her, but at the same time not. And the feeling terrified her.

It was pure, unadulterated, unstopped hatred. In this world of complete blackness, Izayoi felt more alone then ever before and now that she could _feel_ again, she was in despair. The mass of hatred that was rising up opened it's eyes and Izayoi was lost. She heard only one thing, echoing from the deep reaches of her mind.

"**I DEMAND MY FREEDOM!"**

XxX

Suigetsu blinked for several seconds as he saw the amount of water he had created. This wave rivaled the one that Kisame-sempai had made when he had shown the technique to Suigetsu, some four-odd years ago. The last time he had tried it, he had created only a third of this.

'Well string me up and call me a catfish.' Suigetsu smiled. 'Guess that snake's damn experiments really did make me a whole lot stronger. Even stronger then I'd thought. But this is the time to press my advantage.'

Naruto was floating in the mass of water, struggling to keep his breath after being slammed into a wall. It was unbelievable how calm the supposedly hyperactive blond was staying throughout the fight. From what Suigetsu had heard, he had expected the other teen to be uncontrollable, easy to read and overall an easy win. It had been the complete opposite.

Dissolving himself into water, Suigetsu combined himself with the water he had summoned, focusing and giving it motion. Now one with all the water in the room, Suigetsu picked up the Decapitating Carving Knife and propelled it forward through the water. In this water, Naruto would be unable to evade the sword. When the blond saw the weapon coming for him, he didn't even try to evade it; instead he raised his right hand, water swirling around it and blocked it.

It was the first time Suigetsu got a clear look at the impressive defense that had stopped his strikes three times now.

'It's a rotating ability.' Suigetsu realized by the water's movements. 'He's probably spinning his chakra around to deflect any kind of physical attack. Damn, that should take a shitload of chakra to use, not to mention insane control. I'm impressed. But let's see how he likes this.'

The great sword started hacking and slashing through the water, barely hindered by it thanks to Suigetsu's ability to control water. Naruto swung his arm around, blocking strike after strike, but the sword was simply faster underwater. And now that the sword wasn't held by an arm, it could perform moves that would have been impossible for a human.

A slash was blocked by Naruto, but the weapon flipped itself around and the pommel immediately hit Naruto in the stomach. As the long hilt buried itself as deep as it could without coming out the back, Naruto's mouth shot open as air escaped his mouth.

'NOW!' Suigetsu mentally commanded, making the water flow directly into Naruto's open mouth. More and more water would flow in, until the Konoha ninja would literally burst with it. Not a pretty sight, but a very effective way of killing someone. At the same time, Suigetsu increased the pressure of the water around Naruto, holding him in place, and reeled back his sword.

No sense in taking unneeded chances.

Before the sword could begin moving towards Naruto, or Suigetsu had forced enough water down Naruto's throat to drown him, however, Naruto's body began to glow a much, much brighter red. The water that was attempting to go into his mouth was suddenly blocked by a mass of solid red chakra. A tail-like appendage knocked the Decapitating Carving Knife aside, and the increased pressure didn't even seem to bother the blond now.

'Well, he _is_ a Jinchuuriki. Figures he has some kind of tricks up his sleeve.' Suigetsu was disappointed that his prey had escaped, but didn't stop. After all, annoying as his prey was, the hunt was half the fun. 'Especially when the prey is as much a pain as this guy.'

Glowing with red chakra, now in an animal-like shape around Naruto – was it some kind of dog or something? Definitely a canine-creature at the least – the blond shot through the water, reaching the only area that was still clear; the ceiling.

'Oh no you don't.' Suigetsu commanded, sending the sword flying after him almost immediately. The blond didn't even look back, however, instead nearly flying towards the fresh air.

Raising both his arms in front, two red claws made of the same chakra shot forward, attaching themselves to the ceiling, and pulling himself up. The tail lashed out, deflecting the sword. Just as Naruto cleared the water, breathing in the fresh air, both he and Suigetsu were nearly blown away.

In the rooms just beyond, an absolutely massive chakra, far larger then anything Suigetsu had ever felt, literally exploded into being.

As the bright light devoured the walls, Suigetsu barely had time to wonder.

'Shit, what the hell are these guys?'

XxX

Sitting amid a circle of candles in one of the many caves he used as hideouts, Richard slowly opened his eyes as his spirit returned to his body. Returning from the Astral Plane always took him a few seconds to recover. He had taught the same technique to all members of Akatsuki, allowing for easy communications, but Itachi and Deidara had no problems at all when returning to their bodies.

Not that Richard could even care; jealousy was something he never bothered with. So, some people were more talented then him. Big deal. There were ways to deal with people like that. If they were smarter then him, he could deal with that too. Everyone could be overcome, with the proper instruments, planning and enough patience.

But he had uses for the Astral Projection Technique that Deidara or Itachi had never even considered. By sending his mind into the Astral Plane, Richard could make contact with other minds he had touched and see through their eyes. With the amount of people Richard had contacted over his life, it made for one of the best and most reliable spy-networks in existence. And the subject – Richard didn't think of them as victims, since they weren't hurt at all – would never notice. Only if their mind was already possessed by another technique would he be detected. But even then, he could bypass the detection.

He reached for the kettle hanging over the fire in front of him, pouring himself a cup of tea and thinking. Naruto was doing even better then he would have guessed. The boy was charismatic in ways few 'genius' ninja were and, even more importantly, his mere proximity to Izayoi had pulled at the Ice Ninja's seal. Demons, Richard knew, tended to call out to each other. The Kyuubi had called to Fènghuáng, and the Great Bird had stirred in response.

But that alone wouldn't have broken through the seal that Izayoi carried. The seal was forged deep within her, in what some would call her soul, and it locked away more then just the demon. The seal's power came from draining all of the girl's emotions, making her little more then a living, breathing, talking doll.

A perfect ninja for the Hidden Mist. But Naruto's presence had re-awakened the girl's emotions, weakening the seal. With Fènghuáng banging on it from the other side… Richard had returned to his body just as the demon took control of the girl's body. Against Greater Demons like the Gatekeepers or the Guardians, you weren't safe on the Astral Plane. But Orochimaru was already on Death's Doorstep before the fight had happened.

Jiraiya knew what he was doing, but with one of the Guardians there, at full power…

Smiling in pleasure, Richard took a sip of his tea, but immediately realized that it was far too hot. With a smile, he extended small tendrils of ice from his fingers, cooling the cup just enough to drink the tea in one big gulp.

"With Fènghuáng released and the Kyuubi at their side, it won't be long before the Five Nations have enough power to take out Akatsuki. And when they do… but I shouldn't get ahead of myself."

He poured another cup for himself, and then set it down while he thought of what he was going to tell the other members. Orochimaru's death was assured, either by Fènghuáng, Jiraiya or Richard's own hand. The important thing now was that Fènghuáng was released and brought back under control, only with more freedom. His power, knowledge and wisdom would be vital to the Five Nation's victory over Akatsuki.

"Come on Naruto, don't let me down now. You've already fought one demon to a standstill, let me see you defeat one. Turn Fènghuáng, Guardian of the Demon Realm, Upholder of the Western Winds, High Lord of the Sky over to join you."

A small shock ran through Richard's mind, not painful, but enough to make him aware; Orochimaru was, at long last, dead.

"Four down, five to go. Show me what you got Naruto."

* * *

Beta Note: This is Kushin eX authenticating this betaing. Has been checked by me and the big guy himself will be final checking it too. Read and review folks. READ AND REVIEW!


	55. Chapter 55

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the narutoverse, I'm just borrowing it for some creative fun.

* * *

The explosion of chakra as Fènghuáng burst into existence was more blinding than it was damaging, but it still smashed Naruto away and sent him flying into a wall. Since he had been near the ceiling in his attempt to escape Suigetsu's orb of water, he started sliding down the wall, spinning and tumbling, before he smashed full-force, face-first into the ground.

But the pain from smashing into the wall and breaking his nose when landing was hardly on Naruto's mind. Instead, the burning agony that he felt from within was consuming his attention. With another powerful demon so close by, it's presence called out to the Kyuubi, awakening the beast inside of Naruto.

The Cloak of Kyuubi had disappeared after Naruto had been hit with the chakra explosion, but now it suddenly flared to life again. Three tails appeared behind Naruto before the Cloak started expanding even more.

"No." Naruto grunted, fisting his hands in his hair and trying desperately to control himself. The cloak returned to it's normal size, the three tails still striking out wildly, destroying anything in Naruto's surrounding area. With more effort, Naruto reduced the Kyuubi's chakra enough so he only had two tails left, but then another burst of Fènghuáng's chakra appeared.

Once more Kyuubi's chakra was called to the surface, rapidly expanding the Cloak, the beginning of a third and fourth tail appearing, while Naruto struggled to get it under control. The Calling wasn't this strong when he had faced off with Shukaku… why did Fènghuáng's appearance call to the demon like that?

As Naruto kept struggling, slowly winning control over himself, then losing some again, he realized why the Calling was different now. Jiraiya had changed Naruto's seal, allowing him to directly communicate with the Kyuubi and draw on more of it's chakra, but it had also weakened the seal.

While Naruto was twisting and turning on the ground, blood still oozing from his nose, Suigetsu gathered himself and appeared in a half-solid form from the waist up. Looking around the battlefield, he saw the giant creature that had appeared, spreading several massive wings and swinging them down. The chakra of the thing was incredible!

Suigetsu's eyes were torn from the demon's appearance when another burst of incredible chakra splashed him apart. Quickly reforming himself a safe distance away, Suigetsu saw Naruto struggling. But that didn't interest him; he only saw the mass of red chakra around Naruto expand and retract at random intervals. One second it barely covered Naruto's body, the next the entire room – whatever had remained of it – was lit a creepy dark red.

"Screw this!" Suigetsu backed away as he used the water remaining to retrieve his sword. His own chakra was impressive, something very few humans would ever reach by natural means, but this... "I'm not dying for Orochimaru. I'm out of here."

More likely then not, the Snake wouldn't survive today anyway. And now, Suigetsu had a clear shot at escape.

As Naruto struggled and the winged demon destroyed, Suigetsu turned around and ran. Freedom was finally his.

XxX

In the past, Jiraiya had often feared for his life while fighting enemies, though he had only stood on death's doorstep twice before. As the world around him turned white he feared that he had made the final step, walking into death's cold embrace.

That fearful thought lasted only until he crashed into a wall.

Opening his eyes and blinking to clear them, Jiraiya canceled his transformation, turning back from a kappa into a human. The sudden explosion of chakra had been strong enough to remove all the water in the area – it most likely had to do with the water being chakra-created in the first place, Jiraiya thought – and had cracked the walls, floor and ceiling of Orochimaru's chamber.

The seal around Izayoi and Sai had been blown apart, Shizune and Kabuto were nowhere to be seen and Orochimaru was lying against another wall. But it was Izayoi that completely captured Jiraiya's attention. The explosion of light had died down, but the girl was still emitting levels of chakra that made Naruto seem like a child.

The chakra shot out of her body and wrapped itself around her, forming a tornado that was spinning so fast it completely blocked the girl from sight. While Jiraiya watched, the tornado grew larger and larger, spinning stronger and faster every second.

"Hey Boss, you ok?" Next to Jiraiya a toad jumped out of the ground, holding Sai in one paw. Jiraiya had summoned the toad as soon as Izayoi started releasing chakra, but had barely been in time. Both the young shinobi and the summoned creature were covered in chakra burns.

"Don't mind me. Go back underground, find Shizune and get the two of them to safety. I have to deal with this."

"Boss, you be crazy! That there be the legendary Fènghuáng man. Him one of the top-dogs in the demon realm, he be tha boss of the skies. Not even Old man 'Bunta can take that bad bird on one-on-one. He a Guardian, an lemme tell ya, those dudes be tough!"

"Just do as I say." Jiraiya didn't have time to argue. He still remembered everything Naruto had told him about demons. The Four Guardians were on par in power with the Nine Gatekeepers, or the Biju as the humans called them. None of them were equal in power to the Kyuubi, but they were still far superior to any human, sage or not.

As the toad disappeared back underground, the tornado was still growing, shredding it's way through the ceiling and all the layers of ground above it. Tons of earth, rock and dirt were effortlessly lifted and shredded as the tornado broke through and allowed sunlight into the room.

Apparently the tornado had finally reached the size it needed, because it stopped growing, but instead it was now… morphing into something else. Streams of wind broke off from the tornado and started to turn more solid, transforming the giant tornado into an equally giant bird. A bird unlike any Jiraiya had ever seen; a composition of different birds.

It's head was that of a golden pheasant, the body resembled that of a mandarin duck, it had the tail of a peacock, the long legs of a crane and the mouth of a parrot. Much like Izayoi herself, the demon that she housed has different wings. Apart from Izayoi's own Eagle, Hawk, Owl and Condor wings, Fènghuáng also had the wing of a Falcon and finally, the wing of a Vulture.

As his body was finally restored, Fènghuáng looked around himself. He was standing on the ground, in a small chamber with one man and one large snake inside. With his host's memories, the great bird knew what was going on. Looking down on the two, he spread his wings.

"**Pathetic humans."**

Swinging down all six of his wings at once, Fènghuáng lifted himself off the ground, starting to fly. The downstream of wind from his great wings, combined with his chakra, immediately pushed both Jiraiya and Orochimaru back into the walls.

For the second time in half a minute Jiraiya was sure he would die today. The pressure of the wind was unbelievable. While up against the wall, Jiriaya also felt another effect of the wind; it was literally cutting into him. Starting to bleed from the multitude of wounds, Jiraiya quickly drew a seal on the wall behind him, creating a barrier around him.

He wasn't a second to soon.

In his snake form, Orochimaru was unable to prepare a defense of his own, rendering him helpless from the fierce wind. Jiraiya watched in disgust as his former best friend was squashed to the wall, the pressure keeping up and cuts appearing all over his body. Finally, the powerful wind won out.

Orochimaru's head was squashed by the wind, sending the contents of his skull splattering all over the wall. The rest of his body was only an instant behind, being both crushed and carved. Fènghuáng had turned one of Konoha's greatest enemies into nothing more than blood, bone and brain-matter on the wall in a split second.

Dispelling his barrier, Jiraiya saw Fènghuáng landing near the hole he had flown out of then looked back down.

As he looked back up at the demon, Jiraiya realized that, for the third time in his life, he was about to see that great dark door.

And, maybe, this time he would step through it.

XxX

Along with Suigetsu's escape, all the water in the area had thankfully disappeared, though it was the least of Naruto's worries. For what had felt like hours he had been fighting to keep the Kyuubi down. The fox's will was strong, much stronger then any other time Naruto had ever felt it. Either the seal was getting weaker, or the Calling was far stronger when facing such a powerful demon.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the Calling ended. Kyuubi tried for one last time to push his way forward, but without the Calling the strengthen him, the demon lost the struggle. Lying on the ground, catching his breath and feeling the burn in every chakra coil in his body, Naruto wondered what had happened. He got his answer when the entire ceiling was literally blown away.

It wasn't just the ceiling either; by a wind of incredible power, the entire top of Orochimaru's lair was blown off, revealing the forest and sky. And there, dwarfing the giant trees in the forest stood Fènghuáng. The Lord of the Sky looked exactly as the Kyuubi had shown to Naruto during their conversations, but those memories were from the Kyuubi's eyes. The Kyuubi was a creature of equal size and superior power to Fènghuáng, but Naruto wasn't. Only now did he feel the fear that the demon could inspire with a simple look.

As he tried to get back on his feet, Naruto saw a tiny speck jump up from the base, shooting fire at the giant demon. Naruto immediately recognized who it was; Jiraiya.

"Damn that perverted old man." Naruto grunted as he stood up. "There's no way he can take on that demon."

But impossible odds have never concerned Jiraiya before and Naruto knew it. Fènghuáng gave out a yell which shattered the blast of fire and send Jiraiya flying back. The old man flipped around in mid-air, his hands already forming seals and then landed on a tree. He used another technique, this time a Lighting Element, but Fènghuáng was already on the offensive himself.

His parrot beak spread wide, the Guardian pecked at Jiraiya, destroying half the tree with it. Fortunately, the Sage had managed to jump away in time. Turning around much faster than it's size would suggest, Fènghuáng pecked again. This time Jiraiya managed to escape death by using a kunai with a rope attached, switching course in mid-air. Fènghuáng didn't pause a second, instead returning to the offense immediately.

'I need to do something.' Naruto thought as he watched his mentor getting cornered. 'The Calling… it must have ended because Fènghuáng has finally taken a more solid shape. That means it's safe to use the Kyuubi's chakra again. It's the only chance I've got to take on a Guardian.'

Up on ground level, Jiraiya had just dodged the fifth attack, but he was quickly running out of area's to escape too. Fortunately the big bird hadn't tried to simply flap his wings, but with his continuous pecking, he was driving the Toad Sage into a corner. The sixth attempt followed up too quickly for Jiraiya to evade; as soon as he had jumped back, the demon struck again. Just as the giant beak was about to close over Jiraiya, however, the demon was struck from the side and smashed into the ground.

Naruto had appeared out of the hole, covered by Kyuubi's Cloak and spouting two chakra tails. Just as Jiraiya considered what he could do to prevent a catastrophic battle between Demon and Demon Host, Fènghuáng took the decision from his hands.

"**Kyuubi-dono, you too have been captured?"** Despite it's sheer volume, Fènghuáng's voice didn't actually sound as evil as Jiraiya had envisioned it, nor as mad as Shukaku's must have been. It was a voice more full of wisdom then evil or madness.

"Fènghuáng, stop this!" Naruto shouted, looking up at the much larger demon. Even with the Kyuubi's Cloak, Naruto's chakra output was next to nothing compared to what Fènghuáng was giving out. "You are not in your own body; your human host will only be able to take so much strain from this transformation. Return control of her body back to Izayoi, or she'll die. And when she dies, you will die with her. Your life is now bound to hers!"

"**Indeed it is, Human vessel of Kyuubi."** The great bird said, standing up to it's full height. **"But that is what I seek. With Death's coming, I will be released from this prison that your kind has given me. Through death, I shall be reborn in my own body. Do you not agree, Kyuubi-dono, that death is preferable over this imprisonment."**

"Kyuubi doesn't really like to think about dying." Naruto returned, desperately trying to find a way to resolve the situation.

"**Be silent human, I do not speak to you. I address the Lord of Foxes, the greatest of the Gatekeepers. Death is our salvation and I shall give him it's release. With our deaths, our successors can be named. Now come, Kyuubi-dono. It is our time to die."**

Fènghuáng spread it's six wings wide.

XxX

Nearly half a mile from Orochimaru's base, Shizune was quickly tending to Sai. They had been brought there by Jiraiya-sama's toad, before it had dispelled itself to heal it's injuries. Neither Shizune nor Sai had escaped the chakra explosion unharmed, though Sai was definitely the worst off.

Jiraiya-sama's quick action had protected the boy from death, but he still had many third-degree burns. Shizune herself had activated one of several protective seals she had carried on her person at all time, shielding her from the worst of it. She only had several first and second degree burns, but she was running out of chakra.

Behind her chakra's more intense and powerful then any she had encountered before were flaring, but Shizune still focused herself on her work. She had diagnosed the worst of Sai's injuries and quickly started tending to them, making sure he would stay alive long enough to reach another group of medical ninja.

Suddenly Jiraiya-sama landed just in front of Shizune, surprising her. She hadn't even noticed him get any closer, but then again, he was Jiraiya-sama. He was still uninjured, but he looked worried.

"Wrap up and get out." He ordered her, strain in his voice. "Naruto is about to fight another demon and we don't want to be anywhere near the battlefield when that happens."

Shizune quickly rolled up her back of medical supplies, saw Jiraiya-sama pick up Sai and followed after him as they fled.

'Please, stay safe Naruto-kun.'

XxX

As Fènghuáng swung his wings down, deadly gusts of wind immediately slammed into Naruto, cutting his skin and nearly crushing his bones before the Cloak could increase it's strength enough to withstand the punishment. A third tail had sprouted, all the tails and extended claws digging into the ground to keep Naruto in place.

The forest behind Naruto wasn't as lucky, the age-old trees were all cut and smashed apart, the forest and all it's inhabitants rapidly dying under the Guardian's rage. Even though Naruto was protected by the Cloak, the ground around him wasn't as lucky. It started to crack, creating a spider's web that rapidly grew. Just as Naruto lost his footing, the wind stopped as suddenly as it had started.

Immediately Naruto charged forward, making full use of the superhuman speed his transformation bestrode upon him. Fènghuáng was only slightly slower due to his size as he tried to peck at Naruto, his giant beak leaving large ditches in the ground. Naruto evaded the first and second strike; then with the third he did something unexpected.

Using all three of his tails to aid him in pushing off, Naruto jumped and landed on Fènghuáng's head, all four of his chakra claws immediately growing and grabbing a hold on Fènghuáng's body. At that safe point, sitting on top of Fènghuáng's head, Naruto started attacking, his tails all lashing out in hopes to deal enough damage and alternating between using his two front claws to strike deep wounds.

But Fènghuáng didn't give up just because he couldn't see his miniature opponent. Instead, he used his long legs to jump up into the sky and spread his wings to take flight. The sudden velocity had Naruto holding on for dear life even before the six-winged bird started doing all sorts of aerial maneuvers.

The first attempt was just a rapid ascent, followed by a perfectly vertical dive, which would have made the best falcon envious, but Naruto managed to hold on by digging his claws and tails into Fènghuáng's skin. Pulling up bare inches before crashing into the woods, Fènghuáng shot forward, flying just above the tree line and moving faster then Naruto had ever traveled before.

As the forest shot by underneath them, Naruto could have sworn he saw a village appearing in the distance, but Fènghuáng wasn't interested in it. Instead, he moved to the side and started spinning rapidly. The constant spinning and whirling made it nearly impossible for Naruto to keep a grip as he got nauseated. Increasing the grip his tails and legs had, Naruto let go with his hands, nearly being blown away by the air around him as Fènghuáng kept flying and spinning.

'I've got to ground him or I'm gonna barf.' Naruto held both hands in front of him, gathering chakra and spinning it around. Just as he was ready to use the Rasengan and take control over the fight, Fènghuáng spun near a tree, making it's branches strike Naruto straight across the face.

The smack broke Naruto's concentration, reducing the Rasengan in his hands to nothing, but no other damage was done, thanks to the Cloak. As Fènghuáng began to ascend once again, Naruto set to work on creating another Rasengan, fueled with the Kyuubi's chakra to achieve maximum effect. Just before his flying transport tried to turn around for another vertical dive, Naruto struck.

"Greater Sphere Rasengan!"

The red sphere made contact with Fènghuáng and immediately grew in size, striking with enough force to knock the bird off his course. Naruto, also blown back his own technique, ended up in a free-fall next to the much larger demon.

"Maybe that wasn't such a good idea." Naruto thought as he tried to stabilize himself in the air. Once he had a small semblance of control, Naruto extended his claws towards Fènghuáng, hoping to get on the bird's back while he stabilized himself, but the Guardian slapped the chakra claw aside with one wing. A second later he had extended all six of his wings and turned his fall into an easy glide.

Naruto wasn't so lucky. The moment he got near the trees, he extended all his chakra appendages in hopes of catching on to something to slow him down. All four of his claws and three of his tails found something to latch on, but it still wasn't enough to stop his descent. Crashing through one branch after another, each thicker then Naruto's arm, some even thicker then his body, he barely managed to flip himself over and land on his feet. the descent hadn't been kind to him; Naruto could feel that his left arm was dislocated and possibly broken, his right arm was burning and stinging beyond believe and it felt like every cell of his being was crying out in pain.

While Naruto was still lying on the ground, groaning in pain, Fènghuáng made a pass, blocking out the sun for a second before landing a small distance away. He looked down at Naruto, lowering his head a bit to get closer.

"**It seems you have more control over the power that dwells within you then I had thought. Your tenacity at life is admirable, but I will set Kyuubi-dono free now."**

Naruto looked up at the giant bird that was about to squash him with it's beak, thinking fast. The Kyuubi had told him about these demons, who and what they are! It had been used to fill in the countless hours that Naruto had spent in his inner sanctum, trying to gain more control.

"Wait!" Naruto cried as he tried to back away from Fènghuáng, but the bird just kept getting closer. "Is this really what you want to do Fènghuáng? Has the great Lord of the Sky, the Keeper of the Western Realms fallen so far now that he seeks death as his escape, instead of duty?"

"**What?"** Fènghuáng pulled back, looking down on the small human in confusion. Naruto took his chance to keep on talking.

"I've seen the Kyuubi's memories about you, he's told me about the functions of the Guardians and the Gatekeepers. They're more then just a system to uphold the balance of power. The Guardians are responsible for acting as mentors to other demons, teaching them about duty and responsibility. You keep the peace, but more then that you and the others stand guard over the ancient secrets of the Demon Realm. You four are oracles, sages that are revered and welcomed by any in your world. Do you really sink this low now, seeking death to avoid your duty?"

"**This is not my duty!"** The giant bird boomed in anger, his feathers literally ruffling with indignation. The large peacock's tail also rose, giving the bird a thousand more eyes, each seeming to glare. **"My duty is to my people, to protect and guide them! ****You ****humans have torn me from my place, sealed me here against my will and forced me ****into ****solitude for years. You humans prevent me from performing my duties and with this, I will have my release."**

Fènghuáng spread his wings wide again, ready to deal the finishing blow, but Naruto kept talking.

"Have reason Fènghuáng! The Guardians are sages and amongst them you are most revered for your wisdom and ability to see things objectively. You are not thinking clearly, but working with emotions. Where is the great councilor who advised all demons? You have never had the patience of A'tuin, who lives his endless life in the waters of the North, but few have. Yet you now act too rash! You are Fènghuáng, Guardian of the Western Winds, not Biranno, the Guardian of the Eastern Forests!"

Hearing the names of two of his companions seemed to calm Fènghuáng down, but Naruto didn't let up.

"Who are you to know this is not your duty? Did you not once lecture the younger demons on the importance of destiny, saying it had mysterious powers that at times would not be understood but in the end everyone must succumb to it? Your advice is the only thing that had kept the Kyuubi sane while he was sealed in me; he has come to believe your words that it is his destiny. How could it not be yours? Seeking death is easy. Fènghuáng, but it is the way of the coward. You have always been wise and cautions, but never a coward."

Possibly without realizing it, Fènghuáng lowered his tail and smoothed his feathers out again, listening to what Naruto was saying.

"Then, use your reason and wisdom now. Do not act on blind rage; it does not befit one of your station. Acting on emotions is a human trait. Hear your own advice, judge this with reason and realize! You do not seek death, but you will await your release. In time, the seal that binds you will weaken, releasing you moments before your host dies of old age, so you may return to your own with more wisdom then ever before. Until then, your teachings are needed here, or fate would not have placed you here."

Silence reigned in the forest as Fènghuáng looked down on Naruto for long moments, his eyes unblinking, but no longer threatening.

"**Kyuubi-dono has taught you well, you know of our ways and history."** He finally spoke. **"You speak truth, Vessel-of-Kyuubi, and I have heard it. My mind was clouded by fear and hatred, ignoring the wisdom and council I have been honored**** for**** centuries. Perhaps it is my destiny to be here now. Only time will tell. What is your name, Vessel-of-Kyuubi?"**

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, a shinobi from Konoha." Naruto answered almost mechanically.

"**Very well, Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha, Vessel-of-Kyuubi, I have heard your words and know you speak truth. My eyes have been opened ****and I will not fight against my destiny. I will release my hold over this body, lest the girl die. But know this; the seal that once held my will at bay has been changed, I will appear when you are in need of my aid. My knowledge is yours to ask. And the emotions that have been held back, the very source of the seal's power, will be returned to the girl as well. She will need your aid in days to come, just as you need hers."**

Fènghuáng lowered his head to just above the ground and his body flashing twice before it suddenly vanished. Right where his head had been, Izayoi dropped to the ground. Her long dark hair was spread wide, revealing her naked form and the four small, weak wings on her back. She didn't move once she had landed, knocked out from the incredible strain that had been put on her body, but Naruto was sure she was alive.

Knowing he had succeeded, Naruto finally succumbed to the darkness that had been calling for him since he crashed into the ground and passed out.

XxX

Although he was blindfolded and held up by a technique of air, Sasuke still tried to keep track of where they were going. The technique was weak, but designed to confuse whoever it held, spinning them in slow circles to make sure they wouldn't be able to get their bearings. It meant that Sasuke had to rely completely on his sense of smell and his hearing, but neither proved much aid.

He had been pulled from his hospital room without warning some minutes ago, but blindfolded and captured before he was allowed to leave the room.

'Where are they taking me? They weren't this cautious when they brought me in for interrogation.'

A door was opened, somewhere close by and Sasuke guessed he had been brought into a room. The air binding technique was lifted and he was pushed into a chair, then immediately bound by wrists, elbows, shoulders, chest, hips, knees, legs, ankles, neck and head. They really weren't taking any chances.

That was before he felt the slight sting of a needles being injected in his neck. As soon as he was shot with whatever they were giving him, he lost all sense of feeling below his neck. Even as his feeling completely left him, Sasuke tried to scan the room for any clues. The walls were covered with seals, preventing any sound or light from leaving this room.

His escort stepped back, staying far from Sasuke's sight, but he had no doubts they stood ready to kill him at the first sign of danger. Seeing who had just entered the room, he understood why they were so careful.

Tsunade-hime, the fifth Hokage herself, had just walked into the room, closed the door behind her and activated the seals.

"You probably already noticed it, but you're paralyzed from the neck on down. Don't worry, it's only temporary, but it's a necessary precaution. It's to prevent you from doing anything we might all end up regretting."

Sasuke tried to nod, but couldn't move due to his bonds and the paralysis.

"Now, Sasuke, I am here to discus a proposition…"

* * *

Beta Note: Officially beta'd by the man, Kushin eX. Read and review guys, the snake is dead!


	56. Chapter 56

Disclaimer: I don't own the NArutoverse or anything related to it.

* * *

The sun was rising again as Naruto slowly returned to consciousness, the early morning's light already covering him completely. His body was aching all over and he felt like he had more then a few bruises, but considering everything that had happened, Naruto considered that he was doing great.

He slowly sat up, when a trio of ANBU walked up to him. All wore the Leaf symbol on their mask, so they probably weren't enemies, but Naruto was still worried that he saw he had three bodyguards.

"Uzumaki Naruto-san," the first, a man with an Owl's mask said, "under orders of the Field Commander of Konoha's deployed forces, I am to inform you that you are not allowed to leave this area of the camp. Until the field-commander says otherwise, you are to remain under guard by us. You are welcome to all food and drink in this area and will be allowed to use all privileges, but for security reasons you are not to be alone in the camp."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Naruto replied, still dazed. It made sense, given what had happened yesterday. The amount of demon chakra that had been flying around was enough to scare everyone. Naruto knew he was safe, that the Kyuubi hadn't been able to take him over, but the rest of the camp didn't know that. The escort was as much for his own security – it was more then possible that someone would return to the Naruto-must-die mentality – as it was to make others feel comfortable.

"Hey Owl, where's Izayoi?" he asked as he stood up, surveying the camp around him. It was large for a ninja army camp, with well over a hundred people running around. And that was just the area he could see.

"She is under watch in a different section of the camp." The ANBU replied, keeping his masked eyes on Naruto as the blond started walking small circles. "Like you she is kept under guard, though she has not yet awakened."

"And I doubt she'll wake up anytime today." A new voice said as Jiraiya entered the clearing. Two of the ANBU with Owl – a Cat and a Fox – turned around to the sudden arrival, but immediately dropped their hostile stances when they saw the legendary sennin.

"Yo, Ero-sennin," Naruto greeted, giving his mentor a wave and a smile. "How'd the mission end? Did we win the war?"

Jiraiya didn't smile back, but instead remained an almost uncharacteristic grim expression. Naruto had only seen his master look like that a couple of times and it had never boded well for him.

"Naruto, you're under guard for a reason as you probably know. I'm the one who recommended it to the Field Commander. You were using more of the Kyuubi's chakra then you ever did in your three-tailed form. I'm fairly certain you're still the same, but until I can make certain, you are under guard. I just finished checking on Izayoi's seal. It's changing, but it'll be enough to hold the demon back for now. When I get back to Konoha, I'll contact the Mist to set up a stronger seal over the original."

"Don't." Naruto looked up at his mentor, who gave him a quizzical look, "I've talked with Fènghuáng and after he got out of his rage he returned to his old self. He is stable, one of the most rational and wise demons in existence and he has offered to aid us when we need it."

"Not your call Naruto." Jiraiya warned him, though he said it in a kind way, "But I'll have a talk with Tsunade, maybe she'll hear your end of the story. Now sit down and let me examine your seal. I have to find out if your chakra usage changed anything."

"What for? You already know that I can use the Kyuubi's chakra and nothing changed from last time." Naruto whined, though he still lifted up his shirt as his master crouched down.

"We're in a new situation." Jiraiya informed him, critically going over the seal, "You felt it didn't you? The Calling that you told me about."

"Yeah, it was… strange." Naruto admitted as Jiraiya's hand started to take on a faint glow. "I never felt it before, but I just knew what it was. Something was pulling at the Kyuubi, but at the same time it tried to repel him… it was strange. Why didn't I feel it before, when I fought Gaara?"

"Because back then, your seal was still at it's full strength and you had hardly ever used the Kyuubi's chakra. Your body has become more attuned to the demonic chakra, that's why you can keep on drawing in more of it without hurting yourself, and I've tweaked the seal a bit, remember. Well, it looks like the seal is just fine, but I'll keep you under guard until we return to Konoha. Wouldn't want to worry anyone else."

"Yeah, sure." Naruto lowered his shirt again, "You never told me how the mission ended. I kinda rushed in once I recovered and took the fight from there, but what happened with everyone else?"

"The mission was a complete success." Jiraiya announced, breaking out into a smile. "We suffered no casualties, though Sai will need a lot of time and intensive medical guidance to recover and our mission was a success. I'll tell you the rest at our official debrief, when we get back to Konoha. I've already sent a messenger-toad to Tsunade to give a basic report. She knows how it's ended."

XxX

"What'd you want then?" Sasuke's voice was gruff, but surprisingly it still worked without a problem. The teen had systematically tried to move every muscle in his body as he saw the big-busted Hokage near him, but she had been right; nothing below his neck worked.

"Well, you have something I want and I have something you need." The Hokage said, literally looking down on the young Uchiha as she spoke. "I have just received a report; Orochimaru is dead, but his body has been destroyed in the battle. That means we can't research it anymore, which is a shame. Orochimaru has done more experiments on his body than anyone else and his knowledge can be quite an aid."

'_That's an understatement._' Sasuke thought, looking up at the woman, '_with the experiments Orochimaru performed on himself you could become immortal yourself, or create a new generation of shinobi with unpredictable Taijutsu, because they'd be half snakes. And those are just the obvious applications._'

"Now, Orochimaru's research is something I've been interested in for a while now, but with his death he can't talk to me anymore. You, on the other hand, can. Orochimaru was a monster, but he was a monster that had spent the last forty years gathering knowledge that made him a powerful threat to entire nations. That knowledge shouldn't be forgotten, just because he's dead. And, knowing you as a smart, ambitious young genius, I'm sure you picked up more then a few secrets from your master."

She smiled now, leaning forward to look Sasuke in the eye. Despite the equally impressive cleavage it revealed – no doubt intentionally to distract the teen – Sasuke kept eye contact as Tsunade made her proposition.

"You will provide me with all the knowledge Orochimaru gave you, along with everything you figured out on your own. To ensure that I have everything, I will have several genjutsu-specialists look through your memories, allowing them to pick up things you might not have. In addition, you will help train a selection of shinobi in the arts that Orochimaru taught you."

"And why would I do that?" Sasuke asked, never looking away from the woman's eyes.

"Because it is the only way you will ever leave this room and have a chance at killing your brother." Tsunade simply said. Instantly, Sasuke went cold in his seat, something the Hokage clearly noticed. "Work with me and I will have you reinstated as a Shinobi of Konoha, be granted the Chuunin rank and change your status from traitor to hero overnight."

'_Why__ would she do that?_' Sasuke thought immediately, '_I've already betrayed her once, why take the risk? Orochimaru's knowledge isn't that valuable. Unless…_'

"You want the Sharingan." Sasuke deadpanned as he looked at the woman. "In addition to me teaching you everything I know; you want me to give the Sharingan to Konoha."

"Almost right," Tsunade stood up again, a smirk playing on her face as she looked down on the boy. "Yes, I do want the sharingan, but regardless of your help I will have it. You see, unlike knowledge, which you can give partially or falsely, I can simply have someone in here to extract your semen and I will have a new generation of Sharingan-wielding shinobi in a decade or so. Konoha will have the Sharingan regardless of your choice here. However, it is a factor in this bargain."

Sasuke raised one eyebrow as the blond took a step back, then looked at him again, though her face was now completely neutral, like Kabuto had looked whenever he had explained a medical procedure.

"There are many ways to extract semen you know, ranging from pleasurable, to uncomfortable or painful and some might even be simply a boring clinic action that leaves you in pain for days. If you cooperate, the extraction won't be painful or uncomfortable. Survive the missions I give you and maybe one day you will find yourself a girlfriend and willingly exchange your fluids. It can either be painful, or however you want it to be. Regardless, I will have a weekly dose of your reproduction fluids."

"But how and why would you have me be reinstated as a Konoha shinobi"

Tsunade didn't stop smiling as she looked back at him.

"I can make a public statement that _you_ were our deep cover agent in Orochimaru's lair; that you went to him under my orders to study his habits and weaknesses for years before we could strike. It will make you a hero overnight and the masses won't question what I say. Some individuals will be… cautious… but you will have my public support. Of course, it's all a façade. And as for why I want you back; you are one of two users of the true Sharingan – Itachi being the other. That alone makes you valuable. But aside from that, you have already shown yourself to be a talented, dedicated and powerful shinobi."

While Sasuke considered that she was only giving his ego a boost to influence his decision, Tsunade stopped smiling and looked at him.

"and one more reason; no-one is a driven as you to find and kill Uchiha Itachi, one of the most dangerous and powerful members of Akatsuki. That motivation makes you worth something in the search for your brother."

"So, I give you my knowledge and seed, you reinstate me as a Konoha shinobi and we're even?" '_There is no way she'll yield that easily._'

"For the most part. Of course, there are some… insurance… details as well. For starters, you will be given a seal, hidden on your body; that prevents you from ever betraying Konoha again, either by action or by giving away information. Of course, to keep up public appearances, the Uchiha grounds and fortune will be returned to you. However, you will give eighty percent of the fortune to Konoha as a sign of goodwill and the vast majority of all your income – either from rent, selling or missions – will be given to Konoha as well."

"Information, blood and money;" Sasuke summarized. "In exchange for half freedom and a chance at revenge."

"That's the gist of it." Tsunade confirmed. "You don't have to answer right now. Take some time to think it over and you'll realize that this is your only chance at getting to Itachi, unless he's kind enough to spring you out of jail himself. I'll be back in three days to hear your answer. I will make the announcement of you being our spy next week at the mid-summer celebrations, or not at all."

She turned towards the door, undoing the seal that prevented sound from escaping, and left Sasuke to his own thoughts.

XxX

Two and a half days after his fight with Fènghuáng Naruto stood before Tsunade, in the Hokage's private office. Jiraiya had allowed him half a day of rest, then ordered the march back home. Naruto traveled with several others at the same time, the first ones to return home and report, making his traveling group almost three times as large as it had been on the way to Orochimaru's base.

During that time traveling, his guards had provided some much needed stability; everyone in the group kept glancing at either Naruto or the still unconscious Izayoi, who was being carried on the back of a large toad.

Now that he stood before Tsunade, however, Naruto wished he was back traveling and receiving nothing but uncomfortable glances.

He had greeted Tsunade as usual, but she hadn't reacted to being called a granny at all. That wasn't a good sign. And now she was giving him the death glare.

"What's wrong Granny?" Naruto tried, though his voice wavered and lost confidence under Tsunade's glare. Sakura stood behind her master, but she was carefully backing away. In Shizune's absence, Sakura had filled in for the assistant.

"What's wrong?" Tsunade repeated; her voice angry enough to make even Jiraiya flinch and step back. "You fought with a demon, for starters. And, while you fight said demon, you use so much chakra everyone in the area thinks you've _released the Kyuubi!_ And that's just for starters."

"For starters?"

"Yeah, that's just rumor-control, but what is the real reason I'm angry, Naruto, is the fact that you _ruined_ our strategy for the war! We were supposed to have hit all of Orochimaru's bases silently and quickly, before they could know what was going on or communicate it. According to our estimations, we would lose a little over seventy shinobi in that plan."

Standing up from her seat, Tsunade left a clearly crushed pencil on her desk as she looked at the demon carrier.

"However, when we were preparing to strike at the actual village, you sent a demon flying over our forces and set the entire place in high alert!"

Naruto looked sheepish for a minute before he remembered that, while they had been flying, Naruto had briefly glimpsed a nearby village before he had managed to strike Fènghuáng with a Rasengan.

'_That must have been the actual Hidden Sound village._' Naruto now realized.

"Because of that little stunt - which Sensor Shinobi will have picked up three countries away! – The Hidden Sound was preparing for battle when we arrived, instead of being taken by surprise. Instead of a quick and relatively clean extermination, the fights lasted for hours. Civilians were already in a panic when our forces arrived, so they got caught in the crossfire as well. Do you know how many people are dead?"

"But… I… the demon…"

"Naruto, I _am_ glad to see you still alive, but we lost almost a hundred and twenty shinobi because their village was on high-alert. That's nearly a third of the strike force we sent. And that's not including the losses that Sand and Rock suffered, or the hundreds of dead civilians within the Hidden Sound. Add to that the new rumors that you ruined the war and attempted to release the Kyuubi and you'll see that because of that, I'm now knee-deep in a political shit-storm!"

"Well, Granny, what'd you want me to say? I am sorry, but if I hadn't fought against Fènghuáng like I did, he would have killed Izayoi and gone on to do who-knows-what. He might have attacked our forces as well."

"I know Naruto." Tsunade said, visibly taking a breath and sitting back down. "But what I'm trying to tell you here is that your actions have consequences. The bigger your actions, the bigger the consequences are. And right now, you have just given yourself a lot of negative attention, which I have to take care of. I'm under a lot of stress right now, with every country on the continent on edge after that display of chakra, so I'm a bit cranky. Jiraiya, continue your report."

"Well, Hokage-sama," The Toad user started making Naruto realize just how on edge Tsunade really was. Jiraiya _never_ addressed her like that. "We infiltrated Orochimaru's base, found the map of the inside agent, then proceeded to poison their food supply as we tried to narrow down our target's location…"

Naruto listened with half an ear, most of his mind occupied with what exactly would happen to him.

XxX

As soon as the debriefing of Team Jiraiya had been completed, Tsunade had moved to another meeting room, this one brightly lit. Unfortunately, despite the somewhat cheerful room, the people inside it were anything but.

Sitting at the round table, each of the Clan Heads – and one Acting Head, until Konohamaru came of age – looked at Tsunade as she entered. She quickly went down her mental checklist of each member and his or her stands on the current issues.

First was Hyuuga Hiashi, the strongest and most influential of the clan heads. He was also a vocal supporter of Naruto, which she needed right now. Next to him sat the head of the Nara Clan Shikara, grandfather of Shikamaru. He had been one of the most vocal against Naruto, bringing up the subject of killing him at least once a year.

Then came the head of the Yamananka clan, Inoshi. He had only been clan-head for a year or so and often simply sided with the Nara and Akimichi. Alone, he had remained somewhat neutral towards Naruto, these last years, but had never been a fan of the boy.

Despite his bulk, it was hard to imagine Chouda as a member of the Akimichi. He was almost pure muscle and had a constant grimace, but as one of the oldest members in attendance he was one of the wisest men in the room. According to recent rumors he had begun grooming his grandson Chouji in preparation for sitting in this chamber, skipping his good-natured – and somewhat gullible – son Chouza in the process. Like Shikara, he too was a vocal opponent of Naruto, he didn't object to using the boy as a weapon. Everything was a weapon to Chouda, and it should be used as such.

Then there was Yuuhi Kurenai, the most junior member on this council and the only Acting Head. As the closest living relative to Konohamaru, she was taking his place till his sixteenth birthday, but the other clan heads had little real respect for the pregnant woman. She had been married into the clan, not born into it.

The last two were the ones that were most difficult to get a grasp on. In the case of Aburame Shita, uncle to Shino, that wasn't so surprising. He hid most of his face and even then displayed the typical Aburame stoicness. He had always been neutral, one of the few to judge Naruto based on his actions rather then his demon, but even after Naruto's heroics he hadn't started supporting him.

Surprisingly, Inuzuka Urufu was equally hard to read, though for other reasons. While the Aburame hid behind stoicness, Urufu hid behind a permanent grin and bad jokes, but rarely revealed his real intentions. Lately, he had been impressed with Naruto, but years of hating the boy with a passion didn't switch overnight.

"Welcome everyone." Tsunade started as the clan heads stood in respect for her. "Please be seated. I have called this meeting to discus two important facts, continuing where our last meeting left off." Tsunade sat down herself, Sakura remaining standing behind her.

"As you know, a mission to assassinate Orochimaru was initiated. I report you now the success of that mission. Orochimaru is dead, as are most of his trusted assistants and the majority of his guards. The advanced strike we had planned also went better then expected. Our forces are now continuing searches throughout the Country of Rice for more pockets of the Sound's army, but we have delivered a powerful first strike."

Normally a report of such success would have been met with cheers, but these powerful village leaders only nodded.

"Which brings us to the point of this meeting." Tsunade continued, "Now that Orochimaru is dead and his village is in dissaray, we lose a powerful threat to our borders. With the forces we currently have inside the Country of Rice, we can quickly overtake Orochimaru's former bases and create additional strongholds of our own. For this, I'd like to request the aid of specialists from your clans, to aid in tracking, cleaning and when needed destroying those bases."

It took some time for everyone to answer, but as usual Urufu was the first to speak.

"Fine, I'll have some of my clan get over there and scout out the areas. If they work with the teams already there, we'll sniff out any remaining resistance that much sooner."

"The Aburame will lend their assistance in this endeavour." Shita agreed. Along the table, the other clan heads all nodded – Inoichi waiting for his two partners to do so first – giving their approval of the plan.

'_And __this is where it gets tricky._' Tsunade mused.

"And for another point we must discuss; the outcome of the Chuunin Exams held in the Hidden Village of Rock." Immediately Hiashi and Kurenai perked up, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio suppressed a sigh.

"As you recall, at our last meeting it was decided that Naruto was unfit to continue Shinobi duty with his injuries." Tsunade still didn't know how Naruto's arm had magically healed overnight – or Sasuke's for that matter. That ruled out the Kyuubi pulling a miracle. But she didn't care. "However, since then the situation has changed. Uzumaki Naruto has made a full recovery from his injuries and has returned to active Shinobi duty. The recommendations from the other four Great Nations, as well as all attending nobles and heads of smaller villages have given Uzumaki Naruto positive reviews, recommending his promotion to the rank of Chuunin. What is the voice of the Council?"

Nara Shikara gave a loud snort, turning to look at Tsunade.

"The boy nearly lets the Kyuubi loose on us and you wish to promote him? He should be locked up, not rewarded. The boy is a threat; I say we kill him before he turns on us."

"That is not a proven fact." Shita argued, his voice never rising above a whisper. "The first word I have received from the front lines indicates only that Uzumaki Naruto used a significant amount of Chakra, coming from the Kyuubi. There is no indication that he has released the beast itself."

"Quite the contrary, I believe." Hiashi added. As soon as the head of the Hyuuga spoke, a respectful silence fell in the room. "From what I have learned, Uzumaki Naruto has fought and defeated a demon in single combat, preventing it from attacking our own forces."

"And when the heck have you ever heard of someone taking out a demon on his own?" Shikara returned once the Head of the Hyuuga finished.

"I agree with Shikara-san." Inoichi spoke up, surprisingly. "Until we know the extent of control that Naruto has over the demon – if any – he should be kept under strict watch, away from the village."

"And I disagree." The massive figure of Chouda shifted in his seat, "The boy has proven himself a powerful tool to use. The other villages use their Jinchuuriki in the field as well and we have seen results of their power. Gaara of the Sand is the youngest Kage in history, but his power is on par with every other sitting Kage. Uzumaki Naruto has, likewise, proven to be a powerful aid for the village. Don't keep him locked up. I say, point him at our enemies and let him loose. And, Shikara, it has happened before that a single man defeated demons. The Sage of the Six Paths, as well as the First Hokage and Fourth Hokage defeated demons on their own, yet none of them had the ability to tap into the vast power reserves of a demon like the Kyuubi."

"I stand by what I said earlier." Urufu's voice barked through the room. "The Kid sure as hell knows how to fight and if his condition allowed it, the Inuzuka would support his promotion."

"As would the Sarutobi." Kurenai added, though no-one turned to her when she spoke.

'_Perfect._' Tsunade thought, raising her hand for silence again. "Now, what is the voice of the council concerning Uzumaki Naruto? Will he be promoted to the rank of Chuunin?"

"The Hyuuga stand for Uzumaki Naruto's promotion." Hiashi announced almost immediately. Kurenai was right behind him, one hand resting on her bulging belly.

"The Inuzuka will support Uzumaki Naruto."

"The Aburama vote in favour of the promotion."

"The Yamanka vote against Naruto's promotion, until his stability can be proven."

"The Nara vote against the promotion of Uzumaki Naruto and give warning that the demon must be killed before he can become a threat."

Finally, Chouda was the last to speak.

"The Akimichi vote in favour of the promotion of Uzumaki Naruto."

"Excellent." Tsunade announced as she stood up from her seat at the head of the table. "Then, by superior vote of the Council of Elders, effective immediately, Uzumaki Naruto is promoted to the rank of Chuunin."

XxX

As Naruto opened his eyes the next morning, his eyes immediately moved to the chair that held his new vest and he felt ready to jump from joy right away. Last night, after he had eaten a 'healthy' dinner at Ichiraku's, Naruto had returned home to find Sakura herself waiting for him at his door. Being a teenager who had spent three years with one of the greatest perverts alive, Naruto's mind had immediately formed up a series of scenario's, but Sakura put an end to those by smashing his face into the pavement.

Drooling while looking at her had probably been too much of a hint.

Afterwards, while Naruto was picking himself off the ground, Sakura had held the vest out for him, along with the announcement that he was now officially a Chuunin. Being his energetic self, Naruto had immediately tried it on, enjoying the weight of the jacket, but once Sakura had left – leaving instructions to file some paperwork and report for a briefing after the Midsummer Celebrations – Naruto had checked himself in the mirror and decided that the vest didn't really suit him.

It was, above all, more of a symbolic reference to his rank as every team was informed of ranks before missions and many Chuunins chose not to wear it. Not only did it make it harder for hostiles to ID you as a shinobi of decent ranking, it also allowed you much more choice with your clothing. And considering the very expensive sets of black, traditional chakra-silk robes the Hyuuga clan had provided for Naruto, he felt that the vest really didn't match.

So, he kept the jacket in his apartment, instead opting to move around the village in his trusted black outfit. As soon as he tried to leave, however, he bumped into someone else.

"Uzumaki Naruto?" The young boy at his door asked, white eyes and bandage-covered forehead identifying him as a member of the Hyuuga's Branch Family. Naruto nodded. "Hyuuga Hiashi-sama requests you enjoy breakfast with him and his family. Come with me."

The boy didn't even wait for Naruto to confirm as he turned around and jumped to the next rooftop. When the Head of the Hyuuga clan invited you, you didn't refuse or ask questions.

Naruto passed the youth in two leaps, giving a cheerful wave.

"I know the way. Thanks for the message."

A few minutes later, Naruto walked through the large gates of the Hyuuga compound, having been given entrance by the guards. Another Branch Family member appeared to lead Naruto to Hiashi and his family. When the door slipped open, Naruto was very, very glad that he had accepted the offer indeed.

The food itself looked nothing short of marvelous and there was enough to satisfy even his crazy tastes, but his attention was immediately drawn to the company at the table. Apparently, the family of four had been waiting for him.

As always, Hiashi and his wife looked like a king and queen, formally sitting behind the table in beautiful, matching silver-and-black robes. Hanabi and Hinata each sat at a side of the table, both wearing complementary robes of light colors that somehow made them seem that much more radiant.

"Welcome Naruto-san." Hiashi's tone was as formal as ever, but it was surprisingly warm for the normally stoic man. "My congratulations to you for your admirable performance in the Exams, your promotion and the success of your latest mission. You have done the village a great service with the death of Orochimaru. Truly, you have achieved many things in the short time since your return."

Naruto had to think back to the formal training he had received when he was away with Jiraiya, taking care to formulate his words.

"My thanks for your kind words Hyuuga-sama." He started, giving a light bow to the older man. "I am most grateful for your kind invitation."

"Now then, please, sit down and be my guest." Hiashi motioned for Naruto to take a seat, which the blond gladly did. "I have invited you over as a friend of the Hyuuga, so, please, while we are here, let us forget about formalities and enjoy our breakfast."

Following this announcement, everyone made a choice of the many different kinds of food on the table and started eating. Almost as soon as they started eating, everyone started making some sort of small talk. For his part, Naruto spend most of his time either listening to stories between the Hyuuga's or answering stories about what had happened in his travels or the exam itself.

Hanabi was particularly interested in Naruto's travels, asking him more and more questions, while Hinata didn't talk to Naruto that much, but paid close attention to everything he said. Several times, Branch Family members refilled cups of tea, but they were so stealthy about it that even Naruto hardly noticed.

It was the talk between the Hyuuga's themselves that mostly interested Naruto though. By listening, he learned the Hanabi had recently taken up trying to play the harp, but that so far she had little success with it. Her mother encouraged her to keep trying hard, while her father said he was looking forward to hearing her play for him soon. That seemed to put some pressure on the girl, but she was very determined.

Likewise, Hiashi was currently involved in some business with a piece of land that the Hyuuga owned far back in the mountains and there had been some discussion upon the clan's council about what to do with it. As it stood, there was no consensus and truth be told, Hiashi didn't really seem to care about it either.

Hinabi, Hiashi's wife and the mother of their two daughters, was apparently in charge of some of the Branch Family members, those responsible of the mansion's security and several other groups, though they didn't discuss it that openly with Naruto there. Still, she informed them that training on a new group of guards had begun and was going smoothly; Neji, for all his mean looks, was a perfect teacher for the younger members of the house.

And Hinata had recently taken to dancing, which she apparently had some difficulty with, but the girl turned as red as a tomato when her mother brought it up. Other then that, Naruto learned that Hinata had been doing well on her missions lately and had joined her father in several clan-matters, being prepared to take over as Head after him.

Finally, after nearly two hours of slow eating and a lot of talking, the table was cleared by the same Branch Family members who had also served the tea, Hinabi turned her attention to Naruto again. Just like her youngest daughter, Hinabi had been very curious about Naruto's adventures, but now she gave him a very… knowing… kind of smile.

"Tell me, Naruto-san, do you have someone to accompany you to the Midsummer Festival yet?"

The question took Naruto by surprise. The Midsummmer Festival, Konoha's annual celebration at the longest day of the year, was only a few days away. Last time he had attended it, he had only just graduated from the academy. Since then, he had been away with Jiraiya during the next four celebrations. First they had been hunting Tsunade, then three years of training.

"No, I don't." Naruto admitted, taking a small sip of his fresh tea. "It's been a while since I went to the festival and I usually don't really go to the big parties or anything."

"What do you mean?" Hinabi sounded surprised now as she looked at her guest. "Haven't you heard yet? The Hokage has invited the team responsible for Orochimaru's death to her personal ball. You can not show up at the Midsummer Festival's special ball alone. After what you did, you will be one of the guests of honor!"

"No, I… didn't know." Naruto admitted. "Must have missed the messenger. Sakura-chan did tell me a lot of things last night, but they were kind of… vague. I was too surprised by the vest." He broke out into a grin again. "But if that's the case, guess I've just got a problem. I can't dance, Er- I mean, Jiraiya-sensei never taught me that. And this close to the actual date, there's no way anyone will still be left free."

"Nee-san doesn't have a date yet." Hanabi suddenly interrupted, aiming a quick look at her mother before grinning at Naruto. "And she's taking dance lessons, maybe you can join in?"

Hinata did a double-take, almost spraying her drink all over the table, while Naruto also turned somewhat red. He was more then aware that most of his thoughts concerning the Hyuuga heiress were… less then noble… at the least. She was very beautiful, no doubt, and he was officially a friend of the Hyuuga's. But could he spend the entire night around her and not lose his mind? She had been a rather… frequent guest… on his more… imaginative dreams lately.

Looking around the room, Naruto noticed that everyone had gone silent as they watched him. Hinabi and Hanabi wore very similar grins, while Hiashi remained as stoic and impassive as ever. Except that his eyes were focused solely on Naruto. Hinata, still red on her cheeks, kept sneaking peeks at Naruto.

'_Why not? I'm not being shot down yet. And what's the worst that can happen? Spend a night with a beautiful girl on my arm._'

Still, Naruto felt his palms go sweaty, as he tried to muster his courage.

'_I can stare down a demon, but I get nervous when I'm asking a girl on a date?_'

"Ehm… Hinata… would you like to… would you like to come with me to the Midsummer Festival?"

More silence in the room, though Hinata was now looking more stunned than ever before. Finally, slowly, as if she couldn't believe what was happening, she nodded.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. I would very much like to go with you to the Festival."

XxX

The room was still dark when Tsunade entered. Sasuke had been kept in here for the past three days, giving him ample time to think without distractions. He had been fed and given water, but other then that no-one had entered the room. Until now.

The paralyzing agent had been applied again, leaving Sasuke able to only move his head.

"So, what is your answer?" Tsunade asked, looking down on the boy. He was pale, even more so then before, he was looking hungry and there were large bags under his eyes. Just a small demonstration of what his stay in prison would be like, to further motivate him to the proper course of action.

Sometimes, the Hokage had to make hard decisions. Torture, no matter the method, was one of those decisions. War was another.

"Can I have a priority on all missions concerning Itachi?" Sasuke asked; his voice now dry and half-broken. He had been given the bare minimum of food and water, per her orders. "If there's a mission with a chance of encountering him, I want in on it. Give me that and I'll accept. To all your requests. I want Itachi's head."

Tsunade's smile grew wider. He had taken the bait.

"Then we have a deal. Welcome back to Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

Beta Note: Kushin eX here, certifying a beta'd chapter. Read and Review all.


	57. Chapter 57

NA 57:

Disclaimer: I'm back, but I still don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it.

a/n: my thanks to everyone for their support and understanding that I was away because of my internship. I am pleased to announced that I have now completed my internship, so I'm only steps away from graduating from my college/uni (dutch education system. They're a pain to explain to other countries).

* * *

The times Naruto had been really nervous like he was now could be counted, he thought, on a single hand. In battle he had felt fear and he had been worried about facing enemies, especially those who had strong killing intend like Zabuza or Juugo, but this was a whole different kind of nervous.

Sitting next to Hinata with both of them wearing some rather skin-tight clothing. The teacher had called them leotards and he claimed that they allowed easy movement. Well, so far, Naruto was aware of one particular section of Hinata's body moving in it and he was desperately trying to keep a part of his own anatomy from moving!

So, instead, he focused his eyes on the teacher as he showed the two teens the proper steps again. The Hokage's Ball would be, he insisted, a very formal occasion, and as such they would be required to perform at least one formal dance. Formal dancing, in Naruto's eyes, meant moving as stiff as a board while everyone on the dance floor did the same, all the while listening to some rather boring music. It really wasn't his thing.

The teacher and his assistant finished the slow swirl around each other then turned to the pupils.

"Once again," the man announced, his voice actually surprisingly gruff for his appearance, "and remember to glide. You have to move lightly, like a feather. Well, let's go."

Standing up, Naruto and Hinata walked towards the center of the room and clasped one hand together. Hinata's other hand went on Naruto's shoulder, while Naruto's hand was placed on her hip. As they took positions, Naruto was allowed one quick glance down – to 'check if his hands were placed properly' – before he focused on watching Hinata's eyes.

"And, one… two… three go." The teacher announced as music began to play again. "Start with a light sway, until you get a rhythm, then start slowly taking small steps."

One thing Naruto had noticed about Hinata in the past week when they had been dancing every day was that she didn't just have a great body. Her eyes were, in fact, really pretty too. He didn't mind looking into them while the dance continued. Their hands connecting them, the two teens started slowly swaying, quickly reaching symmetry with themselves and the music.

"Excellent, now, start with little steps and remember to glide." The teacher instructed. Without looking at his feet – the week of daily practice really had helped him out – Naruto started slowly moving with his feet as well, Hinata joining him without any apparent effort. Of course, she had already had dance lessons, but she had joined him so they could get used to dancing together.

Naruto wasn't sure if he should curse or thank Hinata's mother for the suggestion.

Finally, after having experienced yet another hour of drilling the same dance again and again the lesson was over and Naruto and Hinata were allowed to get changed. It had taken him some effort, but once again Naruto had managed to avoid a terrible humiliation in the lesson. He would turn his shower into a full cold blast though, but he was used to those by now. Seeing Hinata, especially in a leotard, often required him to take a cold shower.

After having taken his shower, Naruto was again joined by Hinata as they sat down for lunch, another great suggestion of Hinata's mother. At lunch, the two actually had a chance to talk for a bit, though the first few days had been very silent and slightly awkward. They were never joined by Hanabi or Hinata's parents, because they were all busy. Hanabi and Hiashi were either training or out on a mission, while Hinabi would tend to some meeting or another, or otherwise oversee Clan business.

As they ate their food, Naruto once again started telling about some of his missions and experiences while he was training with Jiraiya. It had been Hinata's suggestion, so they would have something to talk about, and Naruto was only too glad to comply.

"So," Naruto started after he had swallowed the last bite of his sandwich, "After Ero-se, ehm, I mean, Jiraiya-sensei and I, had found the hideout I was sent in to deal with the thugs inside. It was good training for me to deal with multiple opponents and for that purpose I wasn't allowed to use any more then two Shadow Clones. And I'm telling you, there were at least twenty guys in there!"

Hinata nodded, listening intently to his story as always, eating her own lunch in between. After swallowing another mouthful of food – Naruto was very mindful of his manners in the Hyuuga mansion, or anywhere near Hinata really – he continued.

"But, I'm not that easily beaten, of course. I used two shadow clones, and then all three of use used a summoning technique so there were at least six of us, which evened out the odds a bit. We managed to surround the hideout, when one of the Shadow clones used a Rasengan to blast away the northern wall. Of course, all the idiots in there immediately turned to that wall, pointing all their weapons that way. They never noticed that the rest of us snuck in through all the other windows."

At this point Naruto stood up in excitement as he told his tale, throwing punches in the air for emphasis.

"By the time the other thugs realized what was going on; we had already taken out half of them. It was a piece of cake, really, distract and take them from behind, just like Ero-sen, ehm Jiraiya-sensei taught me."

Hinata let out a small laugh at Naruto's rather vigorous retelling of his missions and his expert usage of ninja techniques, but before she could start with a story of her own, the shoji slid open, revealing a member of the Branch family, holding a set of orange-and-blue robes, neatly folded into squares.

"Naruto-dono, I am sent to give you these new robes, they were commissioned for you and created by Minayo-san, the Hyuuga clan's tailor. Should there be any changes you wish made, you need only tell a member of the Branch family and it will be arranged. I am also to inform you that a second set of robes has been delivered to your apartment, to replace the set that had been damaged in your examination. A good day to you, Naruto-dono. By your leave, Hinata-sama."

With a bow, the young servant set his package on the ground, then slipped out of the door without a sound. Picking up the robes and taking a look at them – Naruto was more than pleased with how they turned out – Naruto folded them back into squares before he sat down and started listening to Hinata's story.

XxX

Time was not a concept that Izayoi could feel, not in this place, where she drifted from one memory to another. One moment she was a young child, facing down a group of older shinobi, her wings spread out and a tornado of uncontrollable ice flying around her. Another moment she was a teenager facing down a single opponent, who insulted her time and time again, but none of the insults found ground to hurt her. At least, they hadn't at the time. Now, for some reason, Izayoi felt something stir.

"-Sama, I th-" the voice she heard was coming from a distant place, but it felt closer then some of the memories she was going through. Another flash and ten year old Izayoi was standing in the Mizukage's study, the newly appointed Mizukage staring at her and snorting with disgust. The woman with the spiked, multi-color hair said words that were harsh, but the ten year old girl simply kept staring at the woman, never feeling anything.

"ing up!" Again the distant voice, at the same time that Izayoi remembered a time when she was five years old. Ten adults stood around her, each one looking at her with cold, unfeeling eyes. No hatred, no compassion. They took turns striking at the little girl, one punch or kick at a time, waiting for the pain of the strike to dull before delivering the next. At the time Izayoi had only been aware of the pain, but now, she could feel herself shaking.

Light washed over her memories, a warm sensation – like she was standing near a fire in a cold house – washed over her and she heard a voice.

"**Do not be afraid child.**" The voice said, surprisingly soft for all it's volume. "**We are together now, none will harm you as before. Now, open your eyes and wake. They await your return.**"

The light faded, slowly making way for colors and shadowy forms around her. The voice also grew silent, but the warm feeling was still there.

"Yes, you were right." Another voice spoke up, someplace near. A male voice, one that Izayoi had heard before, but she couldn't remember where.

"Can you hear me?" The voice that had spoken through her memories, a female voice, sounded at her side. Izayoi turned her head in the direction of the voice, seeing a girl with pink hair.

'_I know this girl._' Izayoi thought. '_Haruno Sakura, loyal to Konoha, apprentice of Tsunade, friend of Uzumaki Naruto. The one who explained the nature of his relationship with Uchiha Sasuke._'

"Can you hear me?" Sakura repeated. Opening her mouth cost more effort then Izayoi had expected, her voice coming out as a rough croak.

"Yes." At the sound of her own voice, Izayoi's eyes nearly went wide. It didn't sound anything like the voice she had always heard when she talked. It wasn't as distant, nor as cold. It sounded… strange, even to her own ears.

"Good to see you awake." Sakura sighed as she sat down on a chair, so Izayoi didn't have to look up at her. "You have been out cold for over a week; do you remember anything that happened?"

Izayoi blinked. Her eyes stung for some reason and her vision still mostly blurry, before shaking her head.

"Ok, well, for now, take it easy, you're going to need some rest. Once you've recovered enough, you'll be debriefed. For now, you have to lie down here and rest. You've been through a lot. Your body needs to recover."

"What?" the single word was all Izayoi could say before her voice gave out, croaking again, making strange noises that prevented her from talking. She raised a hand and, unable to talk, pointed at her eyes. They were switching between clear vision and blurry.

"There's nothing wrong with your eyes." Sakura immediately assured her.

"You've been crying in your sleep." The male voice from the other side of the room said. Turning her head around, Izayoi saw a large man with white hair, who she recognized moments later as Jiraiya, her captain on her last mission. "For the past week, tears have been flowing from your eyes a lot. I've examined your seal; the emotions you should have experienced for the past have been released. That's probably why you kept on crying. Fifteen years worth of tears aren't shed in an hour."

"Tears?" the word was strange in Izayoi's mouth. "Crying? I… I was… crying?"

"Yes." Jiraiya's voice was matter of fact and oddly Izayoi found it somewhat… comforting. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Every human has emotions, regardless of what some people consider proper of a shinobi. Suppressing emotions is something a human can do, but you can't survive without expressing emotions. The only thing you have to take care of is to drink enough. There's a chance you may dehydrate."

Izayoi only nodded, too confused to do anything else.

"We understand that you may be confused for a time." Sakura spoke up, drawing Izayoi's attention again. "We've arranged for some aid, allowing you to understand your emotions. For now, you're hooked up to an IV so you won't dehydrate. Still, be sure to eat and drink enough, your body needs it. We'll let you sleep now. Sweet dreams." With a wave – Izayoi supposed it was friendly, but she had never seen anything like it – Sakura left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Dreams?" she asked, her eyelids already dropping. "I've… never had dreams."

XxX

"So, the Ice Queen has awoken?" Ino asked as she finished her third set of push ups. "She still as cold as always?" The blond jumped up, stretched out and turned to face her two companions. Sakura finished her pull-ups, while Hinata sat up as she finished doing her sit ups.

"Actually, she wasn't as cold at all." Sakura said, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "If anything, she was confused. Jiraiya-sama said that her emotions have returned, so she'll be really confused for a while. Apparently, she lived her entire life without any emotions at all. Can you imagine that?"

"I honestly can't." Hinata said, standing up and moving over to the practice pole. Without a change in pace, she slipped into her forms, hands flying left, right and center, feet flowing from one position to another, never losing her balance, but always moving.

"Speaking of emotions," Ino started as she made her way over to the pull-up bar, "how're you doing with Naruto these days?"

The comment was apparently enough to make Hinata lose her focus, since one of the wooden planks she was striking managed to hit her straight in the face on the return.

"Oops, soft spot." Ino teased in between her pull-ups. "You ok?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Hinata jumped back, but with her next leap she was clear of the wooden totems. "But, well… ehm… things are going well with Naruto-kun. We practice dancing every day so we won't be a humiliation at the ball and we have lunch."

"Yes, you mentioned that during last week's joint training." Sakura was busy lifting large and heavy rocks, a task in which she was banned from using her chakra-boosting technique, so it was really quite heavy for her. Still, she got the rocks up higher then either of the other kunoichi. "But how are things _going_? I mean, do you guys talk over lunch, or just sit around and eat? What sort of things do you practice dancing?"

"Have you jumped him yet?" Ino added with a grin. "Do his eyes point anywhere but down, can he actually move his hands? I know your mom pulled some strings to have the two of you practice in leotards of all things and with a figure like yours he must be stiff all the time, right?"

Ino's shamelessness on the subject brought a flush to both of her companions, but after a moment Hinata did manage to reply.

"A-a-actually, as far as I k-k-know he d-d-doesn't. A-a-and he keeps looking at my e-e-eyes, nothing else!"

"Well, that's polite I suppose. But you're gonna have to do something if you want anything to happen Hina-chan." Ino finished her first set of pull-ups and dropped to the ground. "Since I'm guessing nothing's happened yet, or you'd be dancing around the village none stop."

"I'm going to have to agree with Ino here, Hinata." Sakura dropped the large rock then stretched out. "Naruto really won't take the initiative, for all his bravado he's actually kind of scared of what'll happen, I think. I mean, Naruto is all about drawing attention to himself in any way possible – or at least, he was before he left – but he only has one experience with a friendship changing. And that was with Sasuke-kun. Needless to say, he's worried that anything might happen to change his relationship with his friends."

"I know. But, well… ehm… I'm… sort of… well…"

"I have a great idea!" Ino snapped her fingers for emphasis then rushed over. "First off, tomorrow you'll be wearing your ball robes right? For the last practice session before the ball?" Hinata nodded. "Good, make sure you look really, really good, but you'll look even better at the ball. Make Naruto drop his jaw twice. And, to add to it all… apply Anko-sensei's lessons. The acting ones I mean!"

Hinata and Sakura stared at the blond, eyes wide and mouths slightly open and Ino simply kept going.

"Show him a new side of you! Instead of the usual meek and friendly girl, show him a firespitter, a temptress, a mistress. We know you can act, Anko-sensei made it mandatory we could pass as completely out of character roles, remember? That should get his attention for sure. And if he doesn't respond, just keep up the act till you lock lips! Once you do, no guy will ever let you go!"

XxX

The sun was barely above the horizon when Gaara walked into the clearing, but from the look of it, Naruto had been busy for some hours already. Four training poles were positioned around him, planks spinning round as Naruto struck and blocked them. Gaara kept a respectful distance, observing as Naruto finished his training exercise, flowing from one movement into another without pause.

His feet were always firmly planted on the ground, sliding when he changed position, rather then stepping, never kicking. All his fighting was done with his arms, blocking and punching the wood around him with impressive speed. He was wearing only his pants, which was apparently a good choice; his arms were lined with bruises and small cuts from the training devices, which would have shredded his clothes. It did make Gaara notice the dissymmetry in Naruto's build, his left arm was far more muscular then his right, but it did little to bother the Kazekage.

Finally, after four minutes of striking the poles, Naruto jumped up, clearing the training poles with ease and turned around to face the Kazekage, a grin already on his face. Gaara also gave a small smile, then raised a hand. A stream of sand, as thick as a boulder, rushed towards Naruto.

"Fox Fist!" Naruto shouted, smashing his chakra-charged fist into the stream. The subsequent explosive discharge of chakra scattered the sand. "Nice seeing you too, Gaara." Naruto's tone was still amused though. Both shinobi knew that they could have done much worse.

"A courtesy I hear they use in the Eastern Continent." Gaara explained. "A show of worthiness, to indicate that I understand and respect your power and realize you can be a threat to me. Am I wrong?"

"Not really." Naruto grinned as he walked closer. "I did study with them for a while, but I never really got their culture down. All I know is that it's rude and insulting to not indicate you consider someone a threat. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, all things considered." Gaara turned around, walking towards a nearby tree where Naruto had placed his shirt. "Temari and Kankuro are scouting the area for anyone trying to listen in, so we can talk freely."

"Oh, they are? I didn't notice anyone but you getting closer." Naruto sounded surprised and impressed. "Oh well, guess that's kind of the point, eh? So, do what do I own a visit from the Kazekage?"

"Officially, I'm here for the Midsummer Festival." Gaara sat down, gesturing for Naruto to do the same. "Although our nations all lie next to each other, each of the Five Great Nations do have different histories and cultures, which shows in more then just our training of ninja. The differences in culture also dictate different celebrations and the like. Makes it very easy for allied nations to be present at each other's official celebrations, so no-one complains."

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it…" Naruto sat down, a smile on his face, "I remember that when I was traveling through the Hidden Rock a couple years back, there were dozens of celebrations being held, I think they called them birthday parties. It was pretty amusing to see so many small parties being held."

"Indeed. Does your training not hurt your arm? I recall that it was rather sensitive."

Naruto raised his right arm, the cuts and bruises already fading and healing fast, but his face was still rather sour.

"Yeah, it hurts like hell, but it's conditioning as much as training. I can't really afford to be stunned by the pain of one of my own punches, now can I? Normally my Storm Shield stops the assault for me, but I can't take any chances. If I meet someone who can disable or overpower my shield, I have to be able to fight, even without it. My arm is powerful, but it's very much a double-edged blade. Anyway, I doubt you came over here to chat about my training or culture, what's up?"

Gaara's face changed into a more neutral position, as did his tone, but he kept his eyes trained on Naruto as he spoke.

"Yesterday, the decision was made by the Five Kages in a secret meeting to put together a special anti-Akatsuki unit, a unique team formed by multiple nations. Each nation already has their own anti-Akatsuki squads, but those are only for responses to the group. This unit will actively seek them out, hunt them, bait them and generally be at the forefront of battle."

"And I'm going to be in that unit?"

"You, me, Izayoi of the Mist and Yugito Nii of the Cloud." Gaara confirmed, measuring any reaction Naruto gave. "A unit made of four Jinchuuriki – or, former Jinchuuriki anyway – to bait Akatsuki."

"What? But… wouldn't that be playing into their hands? They want the four of us, we'll be sitting ducks!" Naruto stood up, his voice rising in his indignation.

"Yes, but you understand that Akatsuki can and will escape from us unless we lure them out. This is the only bait we can provide that will be too enticing for them to ignore. Yet, we are also some of the strongest and most capable shinobi present in our villages. I am the Kazekage, Yugito is the Raikage's aid and bodyguard, said to be second only to him and you and Izayoi have proven yourself against powerful opponents before. You will be informed by the Hokage of this as well."

"I still think it sounds kind of insane." Naruto muttered under his breath, but he sat down again. "So, why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to be careful in this unit." Gaara's voice lowered, barely above a whisper, but Naruto didn't look surprised. "This is the first unit formed from different nations and though we are all allies in public, do not forget that we are ninja. We stab someone in the back and be proud of it, we betray our allies when it is to our advantage. And we use any chance we can to gather intelligence. Be careful of your tongue and techniques while with that unit, do not spill forbidden information to anyone, but keep your own eyes and ears open.

"We are united now because we share a common foe, but once Akatsuki is gone, it will take us mere months to go back to our previous hostile relations. Each of us will report any weaknesses we find and use it to our advantage. I will search for them as well, as a Kage I must attend to my village before anything else."

"Then why tell me?" Naruto sounded more curious then anything else as he asked. "You could have kept your mouth shut and maybe learned a thing or two about Konoha before I wised up. Why tell me?"

"Because I owe you a debt. One I can never truly repay." Gaara stood up again, offering Naruto a hand to pull him up as well. "Now, I must go and attend to official business again. I will see you again at the party, but I must ask, for your safety as well as anyone's, that you do not treat me as informal as you did today. When others are watching, you can not afford to be thought as close to me."

"Yeah, I know." Naruto's face broke into a grin again. "I kinda learned that last year. Apparently, a mob boss is _not_ amused when you start calling him by a nickname when he's at a party with other high-placed people."

XxX

With a relieved sigh, Naruto sat down for dinner at the Hyuuga Mansion, once again eating alone with Hinata. Hiashi and Hanabi both had missions and would return late in the evening and Hinabi had also excused herself, saying she was going to meet with an old friend and would be gone all evening.

Dance lessons had been far longer and much more torturous for him them normal. The teacher had insisted on them practicing in their costume robes again and again and again until they could perform as well as they could in their leotards. After he had slipped up four times because of the much more volumous fabric, Naruto was glad he had the practice. It would have been a disaster on the dance floor otherwise.

But the real torture came from Hinata, dressed in her kimono for the celebration. It was a light shade of purple, with blue and white flowers motives. It somehow managed to appear both simple and stunning. And while it was definitely less revealing then the leotard – a fact for which Naruto was very grateful – it definitely made Hinata seem much more beautiful then before.

For once, the lessons had continued after lunch, all day long, but thankfully tomorrow they wouldn't have to practice during the day. Instead, they'd get to spend all day preparing for the official celebration. But that wasn't here or now, and Naruto was listening as Hinata explained an aspect of her training that she hadn't really told him about before; acting.

"Well, Anko-Sensei really had us practice in a lot of different ways, we started out with having to play pre-written scenes, then we went from there until we could improvise a scene off of each other. Anko-Sensei was very fond of making us act in ways we normally wouldn't behave. Ino-san had to act like a shy, uncertain girl, Tenten-san had to act really girly, stuff like that."

"And you?" The question left Naruto's mouth before he thought about it, but he was interested.

"I… I had to play a very confident role." Hinata's eyes dropped a bit again, her cheeks gaining some color.

"Really?" Naruto continued to look at her. "I'd like to see that." Again, his mouth had run off without his brain's permission. Hinata looked back at Naruto, a shy smile appearing on her face. Naruto decided that his mouth may have had the right idea.

"Well, I can show you, if you want." Hinata waited for Naruto to nod his head before closing her eyes and take a deep breath. She concentrated for a second or so, then smoothly stood up from her place at the table, carrying her plate with her. When she opened her eyes, Naruto had the idea he was looking at someone completely different.

"Why are we sitting so far apart?" Even Hinata's voice had gained strength and confidence, compared to her normally soft-spoken ways. "I know the table is really big, but we should just get more cozy because of it." Without warning she sat down right next to Naruto, setting her plate next to his. She ate some more from her plate, small, controlled bites, but as soon as she finished chewing, she turned her attention back to Naruto.

"So, are you ready for tomorrow? I think we're going to be a blast with all the practicing we've been doing, don't you?"

"Y-yeah…" Naruto couldn't really reply, still too stunned from the complete change in Hinata's character. She really was a great actor. What she did next, though, left his mouth simply hanging open.

"Oh, I was thinking… about tomorrow. After the dance is over…" she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder, but her arm was idly stroking his right arm. His extremely sensitive right arm. Turning his head a little, Naruto looked into Hinata's eyes and was lost in them. She even managed to make her eyes radiate confidence. Combined with their natural beauty, it was a very, very captivating sight.

Hinata didn't say anything more for a while, the two teens simply gazing into each other's eyes, Hinata's hand still slowly stroking Naruto's arm and sending shivers up his spine.

"You know…" Hinata's voice was different again, taking on a more… sultry tone. "If you want… we could just…" Moving fluidly again, her white eyes never leaving his blue ones, Hinata moved until she was sitting in his lap. Naruto was desperately hoping she wouldn't sit too close to his belly. Her stroking his arm had not left him unaffected. He only barely noticed the crimson appearing on her cheeks, but Hinata seemed determined not to give in now.

"Do something… right… now." With every word, Hinata brought her face closer to his, Naruto moving in almost subconsciously, enraptured by the woman in his lap, not noticing how her cheeks grew more and more crimson with every second. Just as Naruto closed his eyes in anticipation, Hinata suddenly went slack, her arms hanging around his neck and her body literally crashing into him.

She had fainted, an instant before their lips locked.

XxX

Ino was glad her workday at the family flower store was up. It was, after all, the Midsummer Festival and she still had to get ready for the party tonight. She wasn't invited to the Hokage's private ball, but there were dozens of other celebrations – each far more informal and thus more fun – being held. She had her kimono al ready in her room, but she still wanted to pick up some last minute accessories and, generally, hang out with the girls before tonight.

'_I have got to hear how things went between Hinata and Naruto last night._' She also decided. As she moved through Konoha's number one shopping street, however, another sight caught her eye. Shikamaru was walking down the street, Temari at his side and as usual the two seemed to be arguing once again.

Ino couldn't help but smile, as she ducked into a side street to avoid being seen by her friend and his date. Without doubt, Shikamaru would try to use Ino to distract Temari, which would last for only a few moments, before the two blondes would team up against the poor boy. It had happened a couple of times before, usually because Shikamaru made some idiot remark or the other. It seemed to be the driving force behind his relationship with Temari and Ino didn't want to crash his date – no matter how he called them.

'A matter of convenience' was how they had both called Temari's invitation to Shikamaru to 'escort' her to the Hokage's ball. They gave a load of somewhat understandable and political reasons – the main one being 'to show the growth of friendship and trust between Leaf and Sand' – but Ino knew they still liked each other. The two passed by the street where Ino was standing, never stopping their glaring at each other, but also never releasing each other's hand.

'_Just like an old married couple._' Ino mused with a smile, '_They're a couple for the ages._'

When the duo had passed, Ino stepped out of her hiding again, heading over to Sakura's house. The plan for the afternoon was simple; hang out with Sakura, Hinata, Tenten and some other friends, then do some last minute shopping if needed, before going home to get dressed for her date with Chouji.

It had taken some time to think about, but Ino had finally agreed to go on a date with Chouji, this year. He had been surprisingly casual about asking her, something which Ino had found impressive enough, since everyone kept telling her he had a major crush on her. And, since Chouji was a very sweet and lovable person, she had agreed to it.

But now, it was time to hear Hinata out!

XxX

Night had settled over Konoha, and with most of the lights in the village turned down and no cloud in sight, the stars were out in full force. The only light in the village came from the top of the Hokage's office, where Tsunade was standing, ready to address the entire village.

Next to the pink-haired kunoichi, Lee stood, forced silent for once as he looked up at the Hokage, waiting for her traditional speech. He looked very different from normal, his hair still in a bowl-cut, but wearing some robes rather then his normal skintight combat outfit. Nearly the entire village would be gathered here, waiting for the Hokage's speech.

Only those who had to work, either setting off fireworks or otherwise making preparations for the parties wouldn't be present. The guests to the Hokage's ball would be up on the building with the Hokage, ready to follow her inside. There were still murmurs of conversation, people talking to each other throughout the crowd, but once Tsunade appeared on top of the roof, impossible to miss because of the lights, silence quickly grasped the crowd.

"People of Konoha!" Tsunade began, her voice carrying far enough that even those in the back could hear. "Tonight, we celebrate the passing of another year, a year where our village has prospered. This year, we have shaken the very core of our world, by uniting all Five Great Nations together, something unheard of before. In honor of this, the Raikage, Kazekage, Mizukage and Tsuchikage have all joined us tonight. I welcome you, my colleagues, allies and friends, to Konoha, and hope that this peace we now enjoy will last for many years."

Tsunade made a small bow to the four other Kage's, each clearly visible, to cheers from nearly everyone in the crowd. When Tsunade turned back to the crowd and raised her arm, silence quickly returned.

"But there is more! This year, with the aid of our allies, we have finally defeated one of the greatest threats our village has ever faced! I am pleased to tell you, a truth some have already heard. Orochimaru, the traitor and once greatest enemy of our village, is dead!"

Now the roars were deafening. Everyone remembered Orochimaru and how he had attacked the village years ago. There had been casualties amongst civilians and the large number of deaths had quickly made the Snake Sennin the single most hated enemy of the village.

"With the aid of our allies, we have found and destroyed the Hidden Sound village; never again will they be a threat to us. Now, Konoha, I give you the hero's who defeated our most hated enemy!" Tsunade stepped aside as four other people stepped forward. Sakura had no trouble recognizing them all.

"These four ninja infiltrated Orochimaru's fortress and personally killed him and most of his guards, ensuring his death by destroying his body. Some you may recognize; Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin, who led the squad and killed Orochimaru himself. Shizune Kato, my personal aid, who killed one of Orochimaru's top lieutenants."

As their names were called, both Jiraiya and Shizune took a bow to the crowd then stepped aside. Some of the things that Tsunade announced didn't match the mission report that Sakura had received – it hadn't been Jiraiya, but Izayoi who had killed Orochimaru – but Sakura understood that sometimes a little lie was told to the masses.

"Uzumaki Naruto was a vital part of the mission and personally engaged Orochimaru's bodyguard, as well as the demon that Orochimaru summoned in his defense. Without his aid, Orochimaru would still live."

As Naruto stepped forward, the crowd exploded into loud cheers and applause. Everyone still remembered how he had fought all those years ago, during his first Chuunin exam. And his fight with the Swordsman Ikorosu had in three years grown into the stuff of legends. Combined with the tales of the recent Chuunin exam – some true, most of them false – had made Naruto a living legend.

"And finally, the true sign of the strength we gain when the Great Nations work together; Izayoi of the Mist, who aided the team in infiltration, kept them hidden and on her own defeated most of Orochimaru's elite guard. People of Konoha; the heroes who defeated Orochimaru!"

As the four stepped forward, they took another deep bow as the people of the village applauded and cheered loudly. Tsunade let it go on for nearly five minutes before she raised her arms again. Sakura was expecting an additional speech about the future of the village, but what Tsunade said next took the pink-haired girl by surprise.

"However, even these four, powerful and skilled as they are, could not have succeeded in their mission without aid. An aid who has sacrificed everything he has ever possessed, who risked everything to create the chance we needed to bring Orochimaru down. People of Konoha, hear me now; three years ago, you were saddened and angered by what you thought was a betrayal. A betrayal by a member of one of our most respected clans."

This shocked Sakura, and similar gasps escaped from the crowd. In the mission reports, Sakura had read mention of someone on the inside, but none of the reports mentioned who it had been. Could it be?

"Three years ago, Uchiha Sasuke left our village to join Orochimaru. Today, I am glad to announce to you that he has not ever betrayed us! He joined Orochimaru under my orders, to gain his trust and learn of his weaknesses, so we could make this possible. For three years he gathered vital information and now that he has returned to us, he gave us the information we needed to finally kill our hated opponent. People of Konoha, I give you; Uchiha Sasuke!"

Stunned silence gathered around the mass, some lone people giving applause, as Sasuke stepped forward. Sakura could feel her heart skip a beat.

'_Sasuke-kun hasn't betrayed us? He never betrayed us?_'

Sasuke looked down on the crowd and, after a second, he too raised his voice.

"Everyone, I am sorry to have deceived you for so long, but it was a necessary evil. I had to leave you all in the idea that I had truly become a traitor so no word would reach Orochimaru and ruin our plan. For this deception, I am truly sorry. From now on, I will return as a ninja loyal to the Leaf and hope to one day earn back your trust."

As Sasuke stepped back, there was more applause for him from the crowd, but nowhere near the levels the others had reached. There was, however, no-one spouting hatred at him.

The fireworks exploded in the sky, indicating the celebration would now officially begin, but Sakura barely noticed it.

'_Sasuke-kun is not a traitor!_'

* * *

And that's the return to this story for me. Once again, thanks to everyone for their support of my internship and I will hope to return to frequent updating soon.

Please leave a review telling me what you think.

Beta Note: Wow, been a long time since I've done one of these. This chapter has been beta'd by moi, Kushin eX, and damn it's about time.

Attention all readers. I would like to notify you all of a new piece of excellent fanfiction, written by my Beta Kushin-eX. It is a Naruto fanfiction, focussing on the relationship between Naruto and Jiraiya. It's been in the works for quite some time and I have beta'd it myself. I find it an excellent read, recomended for all. If you enjoy Naruto, go read it! It has excellent and rather unique fighting scenes in combination with good character development. The story's name is 'Another Meeting'.


	58. Chapter 58

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, just borrowing it for some fun,

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Even the top floor of the Hokage's building was silent as Sasuke stepped back and turned to face them. Naruto had been surprised to see his old friend present, curious about why he was there, but nothing could have prepared him for what had happened. Even now he couldn't believe it.

Sasuke had never betrayed Konoha—had never betrayed _him_.

As soon as Sasuke had finished his own little speech, he turned around and looked at everyone gathered there, but Naruto paid no attention to anyone but his former team member. Nearly immediately, he stepped forward to come face to face with Sasuke.

"What the hell?" the words left his mouth before he realized it, and this time it was not a good thing. Sasuke looked back at Naruto, not even blinking. "You were working for us all along? Then why the hell did almost kill me? Twice!"

"I had to." Sasuke spoke softly, but there was no doubt in his voice. "At the Valley, I didn't know if Orochimaru was nearby, and at the exam, we knew he was watching."

"Great excuse. And now you're suddenly hogging all the praise as well? Nice going." Naruto's voice only gained more heat as he spoke; for once losing the self-control he had been working on for years.

"Be quiet." Sasuke's voice was still quiet, though his voice became more commanding. "Or do you wish to put more lives at risk because you're angry? Think with head, not your emotions!."

Sasuke was right, and Naruto knew it, so he took a deep breath, visibly calming him down, and looked at him again. His tone was now much more neutral.

"Ok, I'm in control again." He started, "but if you're our deep-inside spy, who did we…"

Naruto didn't feel the need to finish his sentence, because of everyone else present at the party. Who knew who was listening in on them?

"My contact." Sasuke coolly replied. "I may have been the one closest to Orochimaru, but I was far from the only spy in that organization. I knew of five other infiltrators, none of them from Konoha. Orochimaru hinted knowing of at least two dozen spies, which is one of the reasons he was so paranoid and kept most knowledge to himself. Because he assumed that there were at least as many spies he didn't know about."

"Of course there were, anyone worth his salt in this world is constantly being watched. But you still haven't answered my question; why did you try to kill me, if you were always on our side? After what happened at the Valley of the End… I thought that maybe Orochimaru had some way to control you, possess you, make you do things you normally wouldn't. But at the tournament…"

"He did." Sasuke sounded hesitant. "The curse seal had an influence on my mind – my thoughts. It's what pushed me over the edge to join him. But the Hokage had anticipated that, and another seal has been created to stop that. The Curse Seal could influence me, but the Hokage could stop it at a command. Even so, I've learned to fight off the influence over time."

"Then why?" Heat was creeping into Naruto's voice, but he didn't raise it. Sasuke looked back apathetically, not blinking at all.

"Because I had no other choice; you were too strong." A look of surprise registered on Sasuke's own face at the words, but vanished almost as fast. "It's true. During our fights, you were too strong for me to hold back. I had to fight with the intent to kill you if I were to survive."

"Sasuke-kun, it's time to leave." Tsunade said as she stepped forward out of the silent crowd. Everyone from Konoha had been keen on listening what the two youngsters had to say to each other, and everyone from other villages had been just as keen to listen for weaknesses. "You still have to report to the hospital tonight."

With a wave of her hand, Tsunade summoned two shinobi who seemed to appear out of thin air to escort Sasuke away. Neither teen said another word to each other, their heads mulling over everything that had been said.

XxX

Izayoi was feeling exhausted and completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening around her. She still hadn't fully recovered from her transformation into Fènghuáng. Furthermore, she had immense difficulty with understanding her own emotions despite having meetings with a counselor twice a day to help her understand some of her feelings. Thanks to the help, she was now able to somewhat accurately label some of her feelings, but actually feeling them…

It took a lot out of her.

Then she had been called forward by the Hokage and was named a crucial piece in an important victory. Izayoi's cheeks had flared up against her will, embarrassment flooding her. When the mass of people down below had started an applause for her, it had been the first time Izayoi had felt pride – pride for the actions she had performed and the gratitude of the people of this village.

When she turned around, the Mizukage, dressed in her formal white-and-blue robe and hat, looked straight at her. The pride she felt disappeared in an instant, replaced by something… unpleasant. Was it worry? Or fear? But the Mizukage didn't say anything more to the shinobi and instead turned her attention back to the Hokage.

Izayoi's escort – someone who she didn't know at all, but was known to be an ANBU set to protect her while she was still weak – supported her by an arm when the kages weren't looking.

"Come on, I think it's time I brought you back to the hospital. You look like you're barely able to keep on standing."

Izayoi only nodded, glad that the man was supporting her weight as she moved away from everyone gathered. If she had fallen down or worse here, the young woman didn't want to think of what the Mizukage might do to her for the disgrace.

XxX

As she was standing in the middle of the crowd on the Hokage's roof, Hinata had trouble suppressing her shaking hands. It wouldn't do to show nerves now, but she couldn't help it. Not after what happened yesterday, Hinata still went scarlet at the memory. Naruto was a little further ahead, and it looked like he was arguing with Sasuke. Not that she could blame him.

'_Even if he was on our side, he did nearly kill Naruto-kun. Twice! And he's hurt Naruto-kun more __than__ just that, even if it was all a ruse._' Hinata thought. She could understand the need for it, and Sasuke was nothing less than a hero for doing what he did. Especially because he announced it in public, which made himself a clear target for any and all loyalists and supporters of Orochimaru.

Hinata felt like time was slowed as Naruto and Sasuke broke away from each other, neither looking too pleased. She finally got a closer look at Naruto when he stepped forward, and the others also started spreading around in anticipation of the opening dance. He really did look rather handsome in the orange-and-blue kimono her parents had commissioned for him. But Hinata could barely face him, not after what had happened the last time.

Naruto finally spotted her and completely froze on the spot. He hadn't seen her yet, since they had arrived at the party separately. Naruto had been ordered to arrive nearly an hour earlier than the others to go over his role in the Hokage's speech, so Hinata had arrived with her parents. At the sight of her, Naruto stood stunned with his mouth slightly open.

'_I knew it! He must think I'm some sort of… of… I can't even think it!_' With an effort, Hinata stopped the blush from showing on her face. Nervously, Hinata's eyes scanned across the room, until she found her parents who were looking at her. Her mother wore an amused smile as she signaled Hinata to step forward. Taking a deep breath, Hinata started moving towards Naruto. She couldn't change the past, but she could try to salvage what was left of her growing relationship with Naruto.

As she stepped forward, it seemed to break Naruto's trance. He also stepped forward, making a smooth bow before her and offering her his arm. Glad that she had worn make-up which hid most of her blush, Hinata took his arm, and the two joined the remaining guests of honor on the dance floor.

Hinata felt like she was walking among living legends as they searched for a free spot. They walked past the Hokage, who was talking with Jiraiya-sama and somehow was managing to wear both an amused smile and an angry scowl at the same time. The Kazekage nodded at Hinata and Naruto as they walked past him and his escort – a pretty girl of their own age that Hinata had never seen before. The Mizukage was also present, along with a shy-looking boy with glasses and blue hair.

When they found a place where they could freely move, Hinata looked around some more. Shizune-sama was accompanied by another Konoha Jounin – Genma, Hinata thought his name was. The Raikage was accompanied by a dignified lady that, like himself, had white hair but bore her age with grace. The Tsukikage was hidden from her sight, but he too was present.

"You look beautiful." The words were so soft that Hinata barely heard them, but Naruto had definitely spoken them. Looking back at her dance partner, Hinata was once again happy for the make up hiding her fierce blush. He seemed somewhat breathless himself now that she could see him up close.

"T-thank you." She stammered, just as the music started. Naruto took her hand in his, placing his other at her hip. Hinata placed her free hand on his shoulder, and, without any hesitation, the two moved into the dance they had practiced so often these last weeks.

Their bodies moved on their own, Hinata not even needing to think about the steps she took, so instead the two teens kept their eyes focused on each other. There was no hard look of concentration in Naruto's face as they performed one step after another on the dance floor. After what felt like hours and seconds at the same time, the music stopped. The people on the dance floor stopped as a polite round of applause came from the people gathered around before more moved onto the floor.

With the party now officially opened for everyone, Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Her parents walked past them onto the dance floor but paused for a moment.

"Naruto-kun, if I may offer a piece of advice?" Her father spoke softly so that he was not heard far from where they were standing, but his voice held no secrets either. Naruto, his arm hooked with Hinata's again, looked at the head of the Hyuuga clan. "Unless you wish to continue dancing – and by all means, do not feel obliged to stop now – you may wish to go inside for some rest. There are many people here who would have words with you after the Hokage's announcement. I fear that you will be hard-pressed to find a peace of mind here."

Looking around, Hinata realized what her father meant. Many of the people present were actually from Konoha, either Jonins or politicians, and naturally there were the waiters and such. All loyal to Konoha (or so they at least claimed) would be interested in hearing Naruto's version of Orochimaru's assassination. Or maybe they'd be more interested in his conversation with Sasuke and their relationship. Hinata had little doubt that the Uchiha boy still had many enemies despite what had been said.

Naruto gave a polite bow and thanked Hiashi for his suggestion. When they walked by, Hinata saw him lock eyes with Jiraiya-sama. No words were said and no gestures were made. There was a small nod of Naruto's head, and Jiraiya-sama apparently gave his consent with a smile and a nod. Naruto then turned back and looked at Hinata, his eyes were once again radiated with confidence, and his smile returned to his face.

"Hey, Hinata, I think your dad has a great idea there. Want to get some peace and quiet?" Hinata smiled back. Some of her nerves vanished now that the dance had been completed, and the two quickly moved inside with their arms still locked. That also gave Hinata some hope: Naruto wasn't disgusted by her.

Within moments, Naruto and Hinata had found the stairway heading down, and they quickly found a couch to sit on. While Hinata sat, she forced herself to keep her hands on her lap. She wanted to do something with them, but she didn't want to show any signs of nervousness.

Yet she knew that it was up to her to start the conversation about what had happened last night. Naruto just sat, next to her and occasionally snuck a look at her from the corner of his eye.

"Ehm, Naruto-kun." Hinata finally started, keeping her hands restrained. "I… I wanted to… I want to apologize for what happened last night. I should not have done that, and I'm very sorry."

"Why?" Naruto's question sounded genuinely surprised, but when Hinata looked up, he had a grin on his face again. Before she could speak up, Naruto continued.

"I asked if you could show me what your acting was like, and I have to say it was perfect! I hardly recognized you when you did all that. It was very, very impressive."

Again, Hinata turned beet red, and she was sure that the make up did little to hide it this time.

"And I'll also add this; seeing you act that way, so confident, so sure of yourself like nothing could ever go wrong… it was fun to see; a definite change from normal."

'_I knew it! he hates how I normally am. Why was I deluding myself even for a second?_'

"But the change is still a change." Naruto continued on, locking his eyes onto Hinata's again. "And while it was fun, it was also… strange to see you like that. Normally, you're also fun, and it doesn't feel as strange as when you were performing. I actually prefer the real you. You're much more fun to talk to."

Before Hinata could say anything in return, there was a large explosion of fireworks outside, clearly visible from the window before the couch, drawing both their attention. As the beautiful display of colors died down, another erupted right behind it, but neither teen looked at the second explosion.

Naruto had placed his hand on Hinata's shoulder, drawing her attention again.

"Well… I…" It was odd for Hinata to see. Naruto was never at a loss for words, never lost his confidence. "Yesterday, it… it did make me realize something…when you were acting… because it felt so… strange to see you like that. Ehm… geez, why is this so hard to say?"

As Hinata saw Naruto visibly swallow and gather his confidence, she suddenly remembered what Sakura had told her before about Naruto.

"**Naruto really won't take the initiative, for all his bravado he's actually kind of scared of what'll happen, I think. I mean, Naruto is all about drawing attention to himself in any way possible – or at least, he was before he left – but he only has one experience with a friendship changing. And that was with Sasuke-kun. Needless to say, he's worried that anything might happen to change his relationship with his friends."**

'_She__ is__ right._' Hinata thought as she watched Naruto search for words.

As another round of fireworks went off outside the window, Hinata let impulse guide her actions. Naruto was still searching for words, looking everywhere but at her, when Hinata gently took hold of his face with both hands, forcing him to look up. Before her courage or her conscious fled her lips came into contact with his, her eyes closed in bliss.

XxX

It was nearly noon when Sakura and Ino met up before the Hyuuga mansion. The sun was already high in the sky and shined brightly. Both girls wanted nothing more than to curse the sun and have it disappear. Their headaches and overall negative feelings were bad enough without it torturing them further.

Both were wearing sunglasses and clothing that they normally wouldn't be caught in outside of their bedrooms – sweatshirts, baggy pants and sloppy but comfortable shoes – and each held her hand to her head as they met up.

"Morning Ino." Sakura greeted, lazily waving at her friend. Her voice was so soft that it was barely heard, but both girls were grateful for it.

Last night, after the Hokage's speech, both had been stunned for nearly an hour at the revelation that Uchiha Sasuke had not been a traitor. Said suprise had only lasted an hour because by then the party was in full swing. The party was held by an old classmate of theirs who had practically invited every teenager in Konoha. Only Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru had been absent because they were at the Hokage's private ball. There were no chaperones, there was lots of music and snacks, but most importantly…

There had been alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

Ninja were considered as responsible people upon graduating, but they were still underaged and not allowed to drink. However, they wouldn't be ninja if they played by the rules. The challenge was just making sure you weren't caught. It was a game of sorts that they had been playing since they were thirteen and had been replaying it at every Midsummer Festival.

Unfortunately, the day after the game hurt as if one was hit by one of Tsunade's super-charged punches.

Fortunately, , there was also a way to quell it. A good breakfast actually did help out a lot. And, to make things even better, Hinata's mom had invited them for a festive breakfast after the festival each and every year. This was no exception. That was also the reason the two girls were meeting up here.

Although Hinata's parents were firmly against their daughter getting hung over – something they made clear every time that it happened – they also made sure that she would get back on her feet the next morning. After all, if Hinata looked sickly and weak, it would tarnish the image of the Hyuuga Clan.

The Branch family member that greeted the two girls seemed amused at them – Sakura and Ino failed to recognize him as Neji – but said nothing as he led them through the mansion's maze of rooms and hallways. Neji had also been present at the party last night, and he had seen the younger teens drain one glass after another. He had maintained his usual calm and did not drink half as much as the two girls he was escorting. As a result, he was feeling no different from normal, while the girls were severely hung over.

Neji slid the Shoji open and led the two girls in but stayed outside himself. He was assigned guard duty, after all.

When the girls entered the room, however, they didn't find Hinata waiting for them. Instead, they were greeted by Hiashi, Hinabi and Hanabi, all seated at the table and ready to eat. The presence of Hinata's entire family, something that hadn't happened in the previous years, immediately made the two girls self-conscious of their clothing.

"Ehm, Hinabi-sama, where is Hinata?" Ino finally found enough strength to raise the question, drawing attention to them. Hiashi's face could have been carved from stone for all that it showed, but Hinabi and her daughter both changed expressions. Hinabi looked concerned, while Hanabi was more disgusted at what she saw than anything else.

"She's still in her room." the Hyuuga matron said, her voice sounding worried. "She refuses to come out. I don't know what's going on either, but she refuses to talk about it. Perhaps you can talk to her?"

"Sure." Sakura also found some strength in her voice as she stood up, Ino right behind her. Neji looked surprised when he saw the two exit, but a hand signal from Hiashi kept him at his post by the door. The girls knew the way to Hinata's room. There was no need to escort them.

The two girls took their time, unable to move much faster then a stroll, to get to Hinata's room. When they got there, they were about to knock when Hinata's voice sounded.

"Sakura, Ino, you can come in."

So, either Hinata had all her senses still sharp – very likely, since she wouldn't dare get drunk around her parents, or any such important figures as the Hokage – or she was using her Byakugan to look through the walls. That meant she was at least doing relatively good. She kept an eye on her surroundings, so she wasn't torn up by emotions.

When they walked in, however, neither Ino nor Sakura was prepared for what they saw.

Hinata was seated on her bed, still wearing her kimono from the night before and with her make-up still mostly intact. It looked like she hadn't slept all night long, but the girl was grinning from ear to ear. That look, a look of joy rarely seen on the shy girl's face, lured them in.

"Close the door behind you." Hinata's voice even reflected her pure joy, now that they heard it clearly. Ino closed the door right away. Apparently, Hinata couldn't hold it in anymore and jumped up from the bed, rushing at her two friends.

"It happened! It really happened!"

XxX

A splash of water in his face woke Naruto up rather abruptly and annoyingly, making him shoot out of his now-soaked bed. Looking to the source of the water, Naruto found his master grinning down on him, still holding the empty glass.

"Finally woke up from la-la land?" Jiraiya asked, amusement clear in his voice. Naruto pulled his nightcap off his head and instead moved over to the kitchen to grab a towel. He returned a moment later, towel on his head to dry his hair, with two glasses of milk in hand.

As Jiraiya sat down, Naruto gave him one glass of milk, filling his own with some strawberries. When the glass was full enough, he places his right hand above it, swirling his chakra around. Moments later a miniature version of his Maelstrom technique stirred the milk around, cutting the fruit into small pieces.

"Honestly, Naruto, sometimes I can't believe you." Jiraiya grinned as he looked at his student. "You have one of the most destructive techniques I've seen in some time available, and you use it to make yourself a milk-and-fruit shake?"

"You know I don't like milk." Naruto defended himself as he zipped his glass. "Not without something in it to sweeten it. I've got bad experiences with normal milk."

"Talking about sweetening…" Jiraiya's grin returned in full force, making Naruto squirm in his seat. "Since when have you taken to wearing lipstick before you go to bed?"

The milk-and-fruit combo immediately shot out of Naruto's mouth as his face turned redder than any strawberry he had put in. He turned to his mentor, his face still burning and his eyes wide with embarrassment.

"What? You thought I wouldn't come check up on you when you went missing after the first dance?" Jiraiya laughed, "Tsunade also knows. She also checked up on you. And don't freak out on me. It's not like you're the first ninja to ever have a relationship."

Naruto still looked like a dear caught in the headlights, but he relaxed. Only a little.

"Relationships are good!" the white-haired man continued, "Something to keep you grounded and give you something else to think about aside from our business. You need to relax sometimes, have something else to do. Something else to worry about…"

Jiraiya finished his glass as his student finally relaxed further. He was looking at his now-ruined curtains and wanted to curse himself. Those milk stains would be a pain to wash out.

"Just one thing." Jiraiya now took on a more serious tone, immediately drawing his attention again. "Make sure you stay in control of your relationship. It's all fun and good as long as you're in control. Once your relationship becomes in control of you, you risk your ability to do your job. And as a ninja, that means you die. Just something to keep in mind."

Naruto nodded, already knowing the cost of messing up missions. Jiraiya lightened up again, as he slapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Still, I've got to say you've done good for yourself kid. Hinata is a looker. She's a nice girl, and she's rich too. Here's to you two and a lot of happy times and stolen kisses." Jiraiya raised his glass to Naruto and drained it in one gulp, while Naruto turned beet red again. When he set the glass down, Jiraiya turned his eyes to Naruto again.

"But I'm here for more than just congratulating you on your first girlfriend." The Sage said, serious once again. "Go clean yourself up and get dressed; Tsunade's summoned you to her office. It's time you get briefed on your new mission."

XxX

In the late afternoon, Naruto was summoned to Tsunade's office for a second time. The first was, like Gaara predicted, to inform Naruto of being placed in an all-Jinchuuriki team and not to trust anyone with too much information, while in turn gaining as much intel on enemy villages as he could.

Izayoi was there, her tight black outfit in place and still leaving nothing to the imagination of her rather impressive figure, while her mass of black hair obscured the four wings on her back.

Gaara stood next to Tsunade's desk, wearing his normal red-colored mission clothes. It was the third member of his team that drew Naruto's attention.

She was tall—taller than any of the three teenagers, almost as tall at Tsunade. She was also significantly older, at least midway through her twenties. She had blonde hair, well-kept and neatly split in the middle, and it ended in a ponytail that reached between her shoulder blades. Her black outfit was formfitting, but far less revealing then Izayoi's.

"Naruto, welcome. Now that you're all gathered, let's begin." Tsunade started, standing up from her chair.

"You already know Izayoi and the Kazekage. This is Yugito Nii of the Hidden Cloud, host of the Two-tailed Demon Cat. Together, the four of you will form a new and unique squad. Yugito-san, this is Uzumaki Naruto, the host of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox."

Naruto stepped forward, extending his hand to Yugito, but the older woman didn't even look at him and kept her eyes on Tsunade instead. If the Hokage was bothered by it, she didn't show it.

"As this unique multi-national squad, you will not be held responsible by one Kage, as would usually be the case. Instead, because this is an international team, if it is needed, you will be called to answer to all five Kages. Make sure this isn't needed, if at all possible." Tsunade warned, "Your mission as a squad will be to pursue and ultimately destroy Akatsuki. You are their targets, they are yours. This is, however, a very high-risk operation and you will not be alone in battle. Each of the Five Villages has a separate group of shinobi prepared to serve as back-up in the battles. Your mission is to find them, to hunt them."

All four heads nodded once, understanding the mission's directive.

"As he is the Kazekage, Gaara will be in command of the unit. It is expected of all of you that you follow his orders, even if he is from a different village than your own. Understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Yugito's voice was extremely formal as she made a polite bow. Izayoi and Naruto only gave a quick nod.

"The Kazekage will inform you of the first lead we have for finding Akatsuki. Dismissed."

The four shinobi turned and left Tsunade's office, not saying a word. Once they were outside the room, however, Gaara took point and led them to another room. Yugito was right behind him, still hardly looking at Naruto or Izayoi. When Gaara let them into another conference room, Yugito remained standing, while Naruto immediately made himself comfortable in one of the luxury chairs.

Only when Gaara had taken a seat did Yugito finally sit down.

"I will inform you of several leads I have been chasing." Gaara began as she took out three pieces of paper and handed them to his squad mates. "In recent months, I have spent a lot of time researching Akatsuki's activities and the techniques they used. Since I alone have had a first-hand look at what they did, there was no-one else who could perform this task. Let us begin our first mission as this aptly named Demon Squad."

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Much thanks to my beta Clandestine for going over this chapter and improving readability. Kushin-eX was busy, so I've temporarily switched over to an old beta of mine.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think.


	59. Chapter 59

Disclaimer: I don't own the Narutoverse or anything related to it, just borrowing it for some fun.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

"Demon Squad?" Naruto questioned as Gaara folded out a map and laid it on the table. "Couldn't you pick something a little less… evil-sounding?"

"It's what people will call us behind our backs anyway." Gaara reasoned, his face neutral as he looked upon Naruto, "Might as well get one step ahead of them and use it ourselves. And perhaps it will make some people worried and prevent them from interfering with us."

"Fair points." The blonde agreed. He wanted to open his mouth to continue talking, but one look across the table at the look Yugito was throwing him was enough to make him shut up. She was giving him an evil eye that even Sakura-chan could learn something from.

"As I was saying," Gaara continued like nothing had happened, "I've done some research into Akatsuki's techniques. The Sand's libraries contained some details about methods of extracting demons from the hosts. One of the methods mentioned; one of the safest to the users but requiring massive amounts of chakra, is the usage of a Demon-Statue as a medium. This is the method Akatsuki used to extract Shukaku from me."

Naruto and the three girls each gave a nod, signaling they had understood Gaara so far. The Kazekage continued his explanation.

"This method is also location-bound, meaning it will require a large amount of preparation in one location before the summoning can be used. As such, there is also a good chance that traces yet remain of the statue and it's origins. Since the rescue occurred before Akatsuki had the time they'd need to completely erase their tracks, this is our first destination. There has been a constant guard of Sand shinobi near the cave to prevent anyone from entering without my permission and they have not touched anything. The cave is exactly as it was on the day that Sasori was killed there."

"What are we looking for in that cave?" Naruto asked, his eyes scanning the map and looking for the location where he had saved Gaara. He found it in moments, along with three marks that indicated guard-posts. Again, Yugito gave him a very evil look for speaking up.

"Chakra residues mostly." Gaara answered, pointing out the location on the map for Izayoi and Yugito. "We go in there, use our enhanced senses as Jinchuuriki to find any and all residues and track them to the source. The statue itself will have left residue that is traceable even now; in order to use the statue, an amount of chakra equal to that of the extracted demon must be used. The human chakra neutralizes the demon nature of the chakra, allowing it to be safely sealed away."

"Wow… and they managed to produce enough chakra to neutralize one of the Tailed Beasts with just the eight of them?" Naruto had wonder in his voice. "That _is_ impressive…"

"Keep in mind that Shukaku is in fact one of the weakest tailed beasts, in terms of chakra." Gaara stood up from his chair now, "He has the least chakra out of them, but instead his chakra has the ability to directly control elements from our world. The Kyuubi has far more chakra then Shukaku, but it is unable to control elements without first being altered. But even so, yes they could neutralize a Tailed Beast's – a Gatekeeper's – chakra with just the eight of them. That is the power of the enemies we face."

"When do we leave?" Naruto asked as he also tried to stand up. Before he got halfway out of his chair, however, Yugito had placed her hand on his shoulder and roughly shoved him back down. Naruto looked in her direction, but immediately turned away as she was still looking at him in a way that made him wonder why he hadn't simply exploded yet.

"Tomorrow." Gaara sat back down in his seat again and quickly afterwards, Yugito's hand disappeared from Naruto's shoulder. "For now, we will head out to a training field at the edge of Konoha and explain ourselves and our abilities. We will need to know about each other before we enter into a potential trap. Tomorrow, two hours before dawn, we leave for the cave where I was held hostage three months ago."

XxX

An hour later, Naruto was getting ready to explode out of irritation at his newest team member. Yugito hadn't said a word to him yet, but every time Naruto had talked to Gaara, she had given him the evil eye. Whenever he tried to take some sort of initiative, she was suddenly there and shut him up with her look. He knew the older woman was capable of talking – she had, after all, introduced herself in Granny Tsunade's office – but for some reason didn't deem Naruto worthy enough to talk to.

Before, when they had arrived, Naruto had attempted to go first with his introduction and demonstrating some of his abilities, but when he tried to step forward, Yugito's hand had found his shoulder again and she displayed surprising strength as she held him in place without any apparent effort. Only when Gaara had explained the order in which they would go – with Naruto first, Izayoi second, Yugito third and Gaara last – did she let go and allow him to speak.

She hadn't said a word either as Naruto told them his name, a short history and description of his personality and skills. Afterwards he had shown his Shadow Clones, Summoning as well as the Four Bases of his Arashiodori; Fox Fist, Rasengan, Storm Shield and Maelstrom. After Naruto's demonstration, several of the trees nearby were destroyed, but no-one really cared about that. It was an effective way of showing his technique's power.

Izayoi had gone next and had introduced herself simply as Izayoi of the Mist, then demonstrated some of her Ice techniques – the Ice Mirrors, Ice needles and a small freezing wind – but she said preciously little about her personality. Naruto knew about how her emotions had only recently been released, so he didn't question it, but for some reason it also seemed to tick of Yugito.

As Naruto saw it, a _lot_ of things ticked off Yugito. She almost made the old Sasuke look cheerful. That thought made Naruto grin a bit, which – unsurprisingly – earned him another look from Yugito.

When she finally stepped forward to introduce herself she kept her eyes solely on Gaara. The way she jumped at Gaara's every command, Naruto almost thought she was in love with the red haired teen, but Gaara could surely get better then this old and sour lady.

"My name is Yugito Nii, direct aide and personal bodyguard of the Raikage. I'm the host of the Two-tailed Demon Cat, Niibi." She said; her voice tight with control. "Since I hail from the Hidden Cloud I place great importance on discipline, both in command and personal life. The Hidden Cloud teaches obedience to your superiors, not questioning their words or orders and I follow their principles."

'_Well,_' Naruto thought, '_That__explains__something.__Gaara__is__a__Kage__and__therefore__a__superior__in__terms__of__rang.__So,__she__would__follow__his__orders__and__be__extremely__annoyed__when__someone__questioned__said__superior.__Stupid._'

Stupid, but Naruto could see that it would serve a purpose. No doubting your superior would make most missions move more smoothly and if this was the mentality of the entire village, insubordination and betrayal could occur much less frequently then it did in other nations. But it also prevented creative thinking from lower-ranked ninja and would make taking command a far heavier responsibility then it was in Konoha, where most commanding officers were fairly lenient with what their subordinates said.

"As the Raikage's bodyguard, I am one of the most skilled shinobi in my village." Yugito continued. Even now, there was no pride or arrogance in her voice, just tight control and the statement of a fact. "My natural alignment is Lightning elemental, though I am also skilled with Fire and Water elemental techniques. Kazekage-dono, with your permission, I will demonstrate."

Gaara gave a nod, at which point Yugito turned around and her hands started moving through seals at a rapid rate.

"Lightning Element; Sparking Blast." As Yugito moved her hands to the side, a thick line of electricity still connected them, forming a chain before it retracted into a ball that the blonde shot towards a nearby tree. Upon contact the orb made a minor explosion, sending shocks running up through the tree, leaving a burn mark at the tree, but shocking every leaf and branch out of the tree.

"My Fire and Water techniques are also of similar strength." Yugito stated, as the three teenagers watched the tree. Lightning techniques didn't leave major craters – at least, most of them didn't – but relied on conducting electricity to deal their damage. "However, these are my ordinary Ninjutsu. As the host of the Niibi, I also posses another ability."

This statement made Naruto's eyebrow rise, but neither Izayoi nor Gaara moved.

'_Another__ability?__Like__Gaara__'__s__sand?_'

"As you know, the demons are in a direct connection to other dimensions. Demons live in a dimension that runs parallel to our own, allowing us to summon them with various means. However, the Gatekeepers – or Tailed Beasts, as human lore calls them – have unique abilities amongst demons. They can control the gates to other dimensions, allowing creatures to pass through. This results in superhuman abilities, which we are all familiar with. Kazekage-dono's ability to control sand is one of those superhuman abilities. The massive amounts of chakra we as Jinchuuriki posses and the abilities to enhance our physical prowess is another."

So far, Yugito hadn't said anything Naruto hadn't heard before, but he still remained silent. He didn't want to draw more of Yugito's anger onto himself.

"The Niibi, as the head of the Cat Demons, has the ability to communicate with the dead. As such, in effect, I can summon the deceased to do battle."

This statement finally got a reaction out of Gaara, who raised an eyebrow and looked curious. Izayoi's eyes widened a bit, but nothing else happened. Seeing the look on Gaara's face, Yugito gave a short bow and proceeded to explain.

"A human is made up of three aspects; the Body, the Mind and the Soul. The Body is our physical vessel; the Mind is our ability to think and connects our soul to the body. The Soul is a collection of our memories and allows a human to become a person. Upon death, the Body perishes and loses connection with the soul, so the mind also vanishes. The Niibi, as guardian of Limbo, can connect and call the souls back to inhabit temporary bodies.

"I create these temporary bodies with my own chakra and it is most similar to use a cloning technique; the summoned dead have a limited amount of chakra to use techniques they knew in life and fight, but will be dispelled easily."

For a few moments, Naruto considered what it meant before realizing the potential this technique could have. But it also struck a memory of long ago, one he would rather have forgotten.

"Impure Worldly Resurrection." He suddenly said, drawing the attention of his three teammates. "I've heard of that technique before, Orochimaru used it to summon the dead Hokages when he fought against the Third Hokage. Your ability is similar to it?"

"Do not speak to your superiors unless spoken to." Yugito suddenly barked out at Naruto, annoyance now clear in her voice. "And the Impure Worldly Resurection is similar to my technique, not the other way around. Faerie Fire doesn't require a body to be sacrificed. Instead, I create a temporary body of chakra. The Second Hokage created that imitation after he had fought against the Niibi and barely survived."

"Yugito, a demonstration if you please." Gaara ordered; his voice as quiet and nearly monotone as before. Yugito immediately gave a bow before she turned around and started to create seals. She finished with a seal not unlike that of the Shadow Clones, only both arms held at an angle, turning the plus-sign into a cross.

A blue-gray flame erupted out of nowhere next to Yugito and, much to Naruto's shock, the flames changed and turned more solid until he was suddenly looking at Jugo. The same Jugo that Naruto had killed in the semi-finals, though he looked like the more tranquil version, not the psychotic madman that had almost killed Naruto.

"I thought it best to pull back a soul that's only recently deceased." Yugito explained, "One that we were all sure was dead. The soul lacks free will, so it is completely under my control, a puppet for me to use. The soul remembers how a person looked before they died, so the clone I create automatically takes on their appearance."

"And the summon retains all ability it did in life?" Gaara questioned.

In response, Jugo's entire body transformed, his skin growing dark and his arms morphing into giant battlerams, until he had transformed to his Full Curse Seal form. A shudder ran down Naruto's spine as he remembered just how heavily Jugo had trashed him during the finals.

With another seal, Yugito released her technique and Jugo disappeared from existence once again. Naruto still felt shivers crawling down his spine; this was a very, very dangerous technique indeed.

But it didn't escape him that Yugito had left a lot of details about the technique to herself; how did it work, what were the possible weaknesses and, perhaps the most important of all; how many dead souls could she control at once?

XxX

The Astral Plane was, as always, a whirling mass of colors fighting for dominance, but Richard didn't let it deter him. He'd been here too often to even notice the ever-changing surroundings. Instead, he looked at the six people who had joined him on this world in-between the dimensions.

To each other, they appeared as nothing but phantoms with eyes, but Richard's control over the dimension allowed him to see each of them as they were in real life.

Konan, standing to his left, looked as emotionless as always, her face a mask which showed neither happiness nor sadness. Next to her Kisame was, for a change, not grinning. Apparently, something had soured his mood somewhat. Itachi stood next to his partner, his emotions carefully guarded as always.

On Richard's other side stood Zetsu, the only one of his organization not to have a partner, but he was either locked into a conversation with himself again – he tended to do that a lot, but then, he did have two personalities within one body – or he was glaring at Tobi again. For his part, Tobi seemed oblivious to the rather stern mood of the other members and was busy cracking jokes again.

Said jokes seemed to cause some serious annoyance for Deidara, since the blonde's eye was twitching frequently and he kept on clenching and releasing his hand. Richard had little doubt that, when this meeting was over, Tobi would be in for another vicious beating at his Sempai's hands.

"So, they've put all our bait into a single unit?" Kisame summarized the information Richard had given them moments before. "Hmm, risky. Very risky business. On their own, Jinchuuriki are already quite hard to catch, but if they can work together…"

"So, we should just strike at them all together, right?" Deidara grunted, his voice as rough as always. "If we strike all at once, we can take them before they know what hit them."

"I doubt that." Richard's calm voice immediately claimed all attention, "Each of those shinobi is powerful in their own right; Naruto managed to nearly fight Hidan to a draw in Taijutsu and his combination with Uchiha Sasuke was enough to give Kakuzu and Hidan a lot of trouble. Do not expect them to be easily defeated. And more than that, I doubt that the Kages will allow their precious Jinchuuriki to go about so unguarded. They may have used methods of protection that no-one else knows about."

"Ooh!" Tobi piped up, his voice as hyperactive and cheerful as always, "You mean, like a summon that'll call in loads and loads of backup for them if we attack? It sounds like a lot of fun, but if there's too many of them it won't be as much fun. Too many people distract Tobi from the fun!"

"Tobi, Shut! Up!" Deidara barked at his teammate.

"Tobi is correct. That is just one of the more obvious methods of protection they could have employed. For now, we will observe what they do. They are heading for our old lair first, hoping to track us down by the Chakra Residue from extracting Shukaku. Zetsu, you are able to get there the fastest of us all; prepare a welcome for our friends and test their abilities."

"Very well." The calm voice – the one most often in command – replied, giving a small inclination of the head. "If possible, should I attempt to capture one of them as well?"

"No, for now observe how they work together and if your presence triggers any defenses. If you keep the fight within the cave, you should have a substantial advantage."

"Understood." The calm voice said, but immediately afterwards it warped and a younger, more cheerful voice also spoke up. "We'll get right on it, don't you worry!"

"For now, the rest of you; lay low and complete the tasks I've appointed to each of you." Richard continued as Zetsu's form disappeared from the Astral Plane. "Continue as you are now and when Zetsu has learned enough about our new hunters, we can move on to the next stage of our plan; removing all the Ninja Villages."

XxX

Sasuke was already standing by the window, waiting, when the two fake nurses walked into his room. He had been expecting them.

"I've been anxious these last two days." He informed them, "I walk around my room about once an hour before one of the nurses puts me back in bed and tells me to rest."

One of the 'nurses' nodded and formed a single seal, transforming into a perfect copy of Sasuke. Sasuke did the same and assumed the nurse's appearance, before he walked out with the second nurse. Both were not nurses, but ANBU units charged with escorting him to his first obligation; teaching ANBU Orochimaru's forbidden techniques. This little deception was to throw any possible assassins and spies off their guard.

Sasuke and his new escort made their way out of the hospital, changing appearances in a bathroom on the way to avoid suspicion, and reached the training room soon. It looked just like an empty storage room from the outside, but once Sasuke got inside he saw the reinforced look and seals that were scattered all around. This place was a near fortress and nothing that happened inside would be detectable outside.

Perfect for teaching what he had to teach.

Five other ANBU members were already waiting as they entered, Sasuke's escort quickly joining them.

"First off, know that I'm not a teacher." Sasuke said as he released his transformation and walked forward. "I will do my best to instruct you in what I know, but if you have questions or suggestions on how I teach, let them be known. The first subject we will discuss is the results of Orochimaru's experiments."

The ANBUs said nothing as Sasuke started his explanation, complete with writing out examples and demonstrations on some of the experiments he had seen Orochimaru perform. The means of getting that knowledge may have been completely despicable, but the knowledge itself was far too valuable to go to waste.

XxX

The trip to the cavern was mostly silent and it was not comforting to Naruto. He could travel in silence – his trip here with Team Kakashi to rescue Gaara had been mostly silent, as had Team 14's travel to the Hidden Rock – but this was a silence that felt very, very pressured. Every time Naruto or Izayoi had made even the slightest of sounds, Yugito had immediately glared at them.

It was apparent, however, that she didn't consider it her place to correct them; Gaara was the highest ranking operative on the mission, so he had command and it was his place to correct his subordinates. When Gaara didn't do so, Yugito didn't respond, but Naruto got the feeling that she was rather annoyed by it.

Still, she didn't say a word and the entire trip was held in complete silence. Now, an even heavier silence hung over their heads as they finally entered the cave. It was, as Naruto remembered, nothing short of massive, it's ceiling so high Naruto could barely see it.

Slowly, the four shinobi entered the hideout, wary for any traps that may have been left behind. Before, Naruto had only seen the very entrance of the cave, where Sasori and Deidara had already been waiting for the rescue to arrive. But now that he got further in, he saw that the cave was large enough to build several houses. Still, he found nothing to indicate any traps.

Naruto was about to signal as such to Gaara, sure he would draw Yugito ire again, the exit suddenly caved in behind them.

As one the four shinobi turned around to look at the now-collapsed entrance, a mass of rocks still raining down and guaranteeing death if they tried to move through.

"That was easy, it was." A voice announced somewhere from above them, sounding surprisingly cheerful. "He was right, wasn't he? They really are here to try and find us."

"Shut up." It was the same voice, but now much colder and harsher. "You talk too much. Let's just carry out our mission."

A moment later a figure in the blue cloak, adored with red clouds, grew out of the ground before them. There was no other way to explain it; he literally grew out of the ground, his head trapped in what appeared a massive Venus flytrap. His skin was also divided in two pieces, one black as night, the other as white as a cloud.

"Zetsu." Gaara identified the new arrival. "A member of Akatsuki, mostly used for scouting and recon."

"Yup, yup." The cheerful voice sounded again, Naruto noticed that the mouth moved more on the white side, making him talk somewhat lopsided.

Zetsu made no other moves, none that Naruto could see, but a moment later the ground below the blonde's feet suddenly turned soft and he was rapidly sinking.

"Maelstrom!" Naruto opened his right hand, the tornado-like attack bursting forward immediately and shredding the ground beneath him, freeing his feet. Gaara, Yugito and Izayoi had also quickly broken free with their own techniques.

Naruto barely paid attention to his teammates as he rushed in to close the distance and engage Zetsu in Taijutsu.

XxX

Sitting in his temporary hideout, a cave located in the Country of Grass, Richard had once again left his body behind as he ventured into the Astral Plane. There he had placed his consciousness behind that of Zetsu. It was risky, especially since Zetsu already shared his consciousness with someone else, but Richard had done it often enough to avoid detection.

He wanted to see the fighting abilities of this Demon Squad first hand. If they were better then he had expected, they might kill or capture Zetsu. He doubted it, but it wouldn't be first time that he had been wrong about someone. Even the best-placed seeds would sometimes sprout weeds, or grow crooked.

Naruto, being mostly Taijutsu oriented, immediately charged forward to close the distance. However, he hadn't noticed that Yugito had created one of the Faerie Fire summons and had also sent it forward. The Jinchuuriki and summon almost crashed into each other before they reached Zetsu, giving the scout plenty of time to disappear again.

He re-appeared a distance away, his hands already finished with making seals as a plethora of roots shot forward from the ground to try and capture the four. Before they got halfway, Izayoi had released a burst of cold that froze and shattered them, but at the same time Yugito had released a Fire Elemental attack and Naruto had fired his Maelstrom again.

The combined effect completely shattered the roots, but it also blocked Zetsu from their sight completely. It was a clumsy action, one that Richard hadn't expected. They couldn't work together yet at all. Gaara's sand moved through the smoke, clearing sight again and trying to find Zetsu, but the black-and-white shinobi had sunk into the ground again and now hung from the cave ceiling, his next technique ready to use. Moments later, it started raining rocks upon the four shinobi again, each one large and strong enough to kill.

Naruto displayed his impressive agility as he evaded the rocks, then raced to the ceiling by jumping from one rock to another, Yugito right behind him. A moment later, Yugito had summoned another long-dead ninja; Richard thought he was a respected ninja from the Hidden Rock, dead for some two decades now.

While their display was impressive – Richard had to really stretch his senses to notice them – it was apparently too impressive; Izayoi failed to notice her teammates' attempt at climbing and instead fired a large-area blast of freezing air.

Some of the rocks cracked because of the sudden cold, sometimes even changing direction, but the blast of cold immediately destroyed the soul that Faerie Fire had summoned and it nearly froze Naruto and Yugito in mid-air. They only escaped by quickly wrapping themselves in a cloak of demonic chakra and jumping to the side.

Again Zetsu had disappeared, using his Earth Traveling Technique to appear behind Izayoi, ready to strike. A wall of sand wrapped around him and immediately went on to crush him, but Zetsu had already disappeared again.

The fight kept up for some time, but the more Richard watched, the more he was actually disappointed. Yugito, Naruto and Izayoi were more of a bother to each other then anything else, nearly striking each other with their techniques or otherwise messing each other's tactics up.

He did notice, however, that Gaara did surprisingly little in the fight. The Kazekage stayed back, keeping his sand swirling around him for a fast defense, but after his teammates nearly got swallowed by the sand he had instead pulled back and focused only on defending his teammates after their own failed attempts. Afterwards, he seemed content to give some small orders or directions, at which point his team members would strike, but otherwise he took no part in the offensive himself

Zetsu had a natural advantage, being able to travel nearly instantly in all dimensions in the cave, and he had an easy time observing their abilities. After his third attempt at closing in, Naruto had transformed, his eyes turning red as he assumed his optimal battle form, but it did little to help him.

Twice he tried to close in on Zetsu with his Shikuchi, moving faster then any eye could see, but the first time Zetsu had trapped him in quicksand again, the sudden stop causing the teen no small amount of pain, and the second time he had nearly been skewered in his place as Izayoi had shot a barrage of Ice Daggers.

Overall, their teamwork was nothing short of laughable. It almost made Richard want to cry. How was he supposed to have them work together enough to become a threat to Akatsuki if they couldn't even hit Zetsu once?

"This will not do." Richard muttered as he returned to his body. He had seen enough. "This will not do at all. At least Gaara seemed to have been smart enough to learn, but I have to fix this and fast… but how am I going to do that?"

XxX

Naruto was very thankful for the Kyuubi's quick healing as the frost burn on his arm quickly healed. He had been very close to hitting Zetsu; sure he would strike the plant-face this time, when Izayoi had sent an exploding orb of sub-zero temperature in their direction. Plant-face got away, but Naruto had only barely managed to escape becoming an ice cube. This had been going on for almost twenty minutes, Izayoi and Yugito messing up his timing and attack patterns, but there was nothing he could do now.

Zetsu suddenly appeared again in the middle, straight between all four shinobi and, from their experiences in the fight, neither dared to attack. Zetsu's techniques had been formidable, causing more cave-ins, sprouting entire plants and sending massive amounts of water in their direction, but he had barely hurt them. They had been doing that to each other.

"Hmm…" This time it was the cold and controlled voice and the black mouth moved more, making him talk lopsided again, but in the other direction. "So far, I've seen no surprises. My Leader wishes me to withdraw, it seems; you won't be killed today."

He almost sounded disappointed at that, but Naruto supposed that was possible. Even so, he didn't sound like he'd question or doubt the order.

'_Maybe__he__'__s__from__Hidden__Cloud__as__well?_' Naruto thought with some spite, feeling more then a little annoyance at Yugito.

"Yeah, too bad." The lighter voice of Zetsu now spoke up, sounding cheerful again. "Oh, but it gets even better; he wants to meet with you. Maybe he'll want to laugh at you guys, because what you did just now was sooo patheeeeetiic!"

This caused each of the four shinobi to raised an eyebrow in suprise.

"So, the leader of Akatsuki wishes to meet us? Why?" Gaara asked, no emotion being betrayed in his voice. Naruto was glad it had been Gaara who had asked the question, he wasn't sure if he could have kept his voice level.

"I don't know, he didn't tell me." The white face's voice answered. Suddenly, the black face's voice growled as it appeared to regain control.

"Stay quiet." It ordered, probably to his counterpart. "My Leader wants to meet you, he'll come to you soon enough. For now, be grateful I leave you alive."

With that final statement, Zetsu sunk into the ground, but this time he didn't reappear anywhere around them. After several tense moments, until they were sure that Zetsu had really disappeared, did the newly formed team relax.

XxX

The journey back had been made in what could possibly be record time; barely eighteen hours of hard travel – Gaara had pushed them hard – instead of the day and a half it would normally take to return to Konoha. When they had arrived, Gaara had immediately moved on to report to the Hokage, but not before ordering his team to assemble again in six hours, allowing them to catch some sleep.

Now, Naruto, Izayoi and Yugito were all together in a room, waiting for Gaara to arrive.

"You two are pathetic excuses for shinobi; you did not provide a single good supportive action during that entire battle."

And apparently, Yugito decided that now that there were no superior officers present, was the time to let her frustrations out.

"You completely ruined the fight for us, preventing myself and the Kazekage from using any of our techniques. As low-ranking ninja it is your duty to support the higher ranking ninja in battle, not get in our way!"

"Will you knock it off already!" Naruto shouted back, getting to his feet and staring straight back at the blonde woman. She was taller then him, but Naruto didn't let that intimidate him.

"Yes, our fight went bad, as bad as it could be, but I didn't see you take any attempts to improve it either. Maybe, instead of assuming we'd act as you want us too, you can try to think how we act and adapt to that!"

Izayoi was stuck in between and, from the look on her face, was completely lost. She was still learning about her emotions, Naruto knew, and maybe she didn't know if she was supposed to be angry at her teammates' outbursts, or afraid because of it.

"Don't you dare talk back to me punk!" Yugito's look was nothing short of furious at Naruto's insubordination. "You can barely control your demon, let alone use it's chakra. You lack experience, power, knowledge and anything you might need to survive in a battle. If you want to stand any chance at all in any of the coming battles, then you will obey the orders of your superiors and not mess up any battle plans."

Naruto was about to shout back when the door opened and a furious Tsunade and Gaara entered. Well, Naruto would assume they were furious, because they were openly frowning. A gag of sand was in both Naruto and Yugito's mouth before they could do anything, silencing them both.

"Enough." Gaara's voice was far from loud, but it rang with authority. "Sit down, shut up and listen."

It didn't even occur to Naruto to question or ignore the order as he sat down. The gag disappeared from his mouth, leaving the feeling of sand in his mouth behind, but Naruto didn't dare spit it out before he was allowed.

"We were, all of us, gravely mistaken." Gaara announced. "I was under the assumption that, with knowledge of each others skills and some time, we would be able to cooperate sufficiently on a battlefield. It has become apparent that we can not. The mentalities, tactics and strategies that we have each learned from our villages are too different to allow a quick cooperation as they would allow in a traditional squad.

"Once I realized this, I purposely avoided taking an active part in the fight, instead focusing on defense and ensuring that you would all understand this weakness. Since Shukaku was taken from me, I have been far weaker then before and must use my power sparingly. I can not keep on protecting you throughout all our battles in the future."

"You shouldn't have to." Naruto sourly said, earning looks from both Tsunade and Yugito, but once again the Cloud Ninja didn't speak unless spoken too. She appeared to always get this way when around a Kage.

"Exactly," Tsunade's voice was line with venom, making shivers go down Naruto's back. "So, for at least a week and lasting as long as is needed, you will stay here and work on your teamwork. On your own, each is a powerful and dangerous shinobi. When you work as a team, you must enhance each other's powers, not weaken them. For the next week, you will all be sleeping in the same room, eating dinner together and most importantly, train together. Know each other's personalities, tactics and abilities by heart. Maybe you can actually learn something from each other."

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Beta Note: Hey all, Kushin eX here authenticating that this chapter has been beta'd. Hope you all enjoy it.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you think.


	60. Chapter 60

Disclaimer: still own nothing.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Normally, breakfast was one of Naruto's favorite meals of the day. He would wake up, take his time eating when he was at home and only afterwards get changed and ready to face the new day. Today it wasn't so.

After he had woken up from a rather troubled sleep, Naruto took a few seconds to remember that he now had three houseguests in Gaara, Yugito and Izayoi. Their presence was part of the reason why he had slept so badly; it left him uneasy.

Upon entering his living room, Naruto was surprised to find an entire breakfast ready and waiting, courtesy of Gaara. Upon the blonde boy's questioning look, the Kazekage's response was simple.

"I've gone almost my entire life without sleep. My body still isn't used to it, so I only sleep an hour or so each day. I use the rest of the time for training, research and chores. Sit down; the others will be here in a moment."

And, true to Gaara's word, Yugito appeared a few moments later, fully dressed already, followed by Izayoi. It made Naruto feel rather strange, since he was the only one still sitting in his pajamas. No-one made a remark about it however. In fact, while they were eating, no-one said a word, even when it was becoming increasingly obvious that none of them were very comfortable. At one point, Izayoi stopped eating and instead kept looking to each of her teammates, one at a time.

When they were done with eating, Izayoi was still looking thoroughly confused but there wasn't anything Naruto or anyone could do to help her. Naruto was about to start clearing the table, when Gaara raised a hand. At the Kazekage's signal, Naruto sat back down and saw a multitude of sand-strings appear from Gaara and start clearing the table without anyone moving a muscle.

"This breakfast," Gaara started, his voice as quiet as always, but in the silence it was almost deafening in it's clarity, "was an example of how we are now as a team. Uncomfortable, uneasy and making each other miserable. If we continue as we are now, on the next mission we will all die."

Izayoi seemed somewhat relieved at Gaara's words, but Naruto realized that it was only because she now understood she wasn't the only one who had felt the tension in the air.

"As we told you last night, we will be living together from now on until we finally learn to work together as a team. From noon today until both the Hokage and I agree that it is no longer necessary, we will never be more then fifty yards away from each other. This includes private visits, bathroom usage and the like. We will wake every morning at six, eat breakfast and get ready for training at seven-thirty."

All three shinobi nodded at Gaara, signaling understanding.

"However, in the future breakfast will not be as it was today. Instead, each time we meet for food, we will each bring at least one topic of conversation to the table and we will discuss it. This also applies for lunch and dinner, of course. If anyone breaks either of those rules – meaning, you remain silent when we eat, or you go too far away from the rest of the team – the entire team pays for it. Break a rule and we all skip the next meal. Because that is how it will work in battle; if one team member messes up, the entire team will end up paying for it. Any questions?"

"Yes, Kazekage-sama." Izayoi spoke, her voice even softer then Gaara and far from warm, but at least it wasn't as cold as it had once been. "I have appointments with my advisor every third day to help me sort out my emotions. How am I to attend if we must all be together?"

"You have an appointment today, before noon." Gaara stated, "During which you will inform him of the change in situation. He will have two options; treat you at his own clinic, which means the three of us will be waiting just outside the door at every session, or come here and have the sessions with you in a private room. As long as we are not on a mission, you will continue to meet with him to stabilize yourself. Is that answer sufficient?"

"It is, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara nodded again, and then turned his gaze towards Naruto.

"Naruto, as I've come to understand, you are now in a relationship. You should take the time you still have to meet with your girlfriend and inform her as well. For the next while, you will not be able to meet up with her in private. Explain the situation now and perhaps she won't be upset about it."

"Good thinking, Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'd better get changed and go see her right away. Where do we meet at noon?"

"Back here, for lunch. After lunch, we will continue to a training ground outside of Konoha for our first training session."

"Gotcha."

As Izayoi excused herself, Naruto quickly got changed and dashed by a moment later, obviously heading towards the Hyuuga compound. Even so, Yugito never stood from the table, just sitting and waiting. When he was certain that both Naruto and Izayoi were no longer around; Gaara turned towards the older kunoichi.

"Yugito, I've purposefully kept you here, because there is something I wish to discuss with you and you alone."

The Cloud Kunoichi only nodded, her face the same as always and continued to listen.

"As it stands, you are without a doubt the strongest and most experienced member of our team. Even though I am a Kage, my power has been reduced since Shukaku was taken from me; it is not impossible that I am now the weakest of us four in terms of combat ability. I tell you this, because I want you to understand that in this team, your rank is not determined by your combat prowess. But more then that, I want to talk to you, because you have something none of us have; stability."

At this, Yugito looked somewhat surprised, wondering what it was that Gaara meant. Without waiting, Gaara continued to explain.

"Naruto, Izayoi and I each have our own instabilities. My power is unstable and may disappear if I do not focus enough, Izayoi's emotions are far too unstable to give her reliable strategic insight and Naruto's fighting style is far from stable. I have no doubt that Naruto is strong, I have faced him myself years ago and watched his fight in the tournaments, just like you did. But there is no denying that Naruto is focused almost completely on close-range combat. He has techniques that aid him in this, but when he faces an enemy who specializes in long-range combat, he is at a severe disadvantage.

"Izayoi's emotions are by now mostly under control, but it is not impossible that a single remark or mistake may disable the girl, until she has finally mastered her newly found emotions. You lack none of those weaknesses. That makes you invaluable to our team."

Yugito, having never heard much praise in the hard training system of the Cloud, was close to blushing, but even so Gaara continued.

"You can fight at long, close and middle range, you can fight yourself, or create an army to fight for you. Your abilities are the most versatile I've ever seen and that makes you a shinobi with untold possibilities. Any technique or strategy, you can access. Because of this ability, I want to make you the center point of our team. Naruto will be able to engage almost enemy in close combat, Izayoi can fight from a distance; I can deal with our defense. That leaves you to guard the center and jump in at whatever point may be needed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do, Kazekage-sama." Yugito replied, "I have often filled similar roles on my teams in the Hidden Cloud."

"Good. Then you must also understand the importance of having every team member trust _you_." Gaara's emphasize on the word made it sound all the more powerful. "I will treat every member of this team equally, because we must see each other as equals if we wish to properly work together. But you and you alone must be able to make a connection with the rest of the team. You are the oldest and hopefully wisest member of this team. Izayoi's emotional instability makes it difficult for her to connect and Naruto's greatest strength is his greatest hindrance; he's too stubborn to accept changes in relationships. But once he accepts you, know that Naruto will walk through hell itself to protect you."

At those words, Yugito saw a strange look on the Kazekage's face, one that she couldn't quite place. Only when she had left the house, heading for a library nearby to read up on local history, did she manage to identify it.

Melancholy. The Kazekage had been thinking back to something in the past and it had made him both happy and sad at once.

XxX

It took all of Naruto's severely augmented speed to evade Yugito's slash. As he tried to turn around and face the Cloud ninja, Naruto realized he was, for the first time he could remember, physically matched. Both had their demon's cloak activated, covering their body in a layer of solid chakra. Red for Naruto and a strange shade of blue for Yugito.

Yugito's cloak even looked somewhat similar to Naruto's, but there were small differences. The ears of her cloak weren't as pointy and broader then Naruto's, her single tail was bushier than his and her claws were arranged just a little different from his.

As Yugito continued on moving, making a wide arc to return on target rather than stop and become a victim to a possible counterattack, Naruto also burst into movement again. As Yugito completed her turn, Naruto crashed into her from the side, sending her flying and skipping along the ground. Her cloak protected her from the actual impact, but it was enough for Naruto to gain an advantage.

'_She __can__'__t __use__ Ninjutsu __in __this __form, __same __as __me._' Naruto knew that their limitations would be similar, '_so __it__'__s __time __to __press __my __advantage._'

As Yugito came to a stop, Naruto was upon her again, claws moving faster then a normal eye could see. But like Naruto, Yugito's senses all rose to supernatural levels and she could just barely see those strikes coming. Using her enhanced agility – she really could move like a cat! – she could escape most of the strikes. Those that she didn't were absorbed by the blue cloak.

But Naruto wasn't just any other Taijutsu user either. Just like how Yugito was protected by her cloak, Naruto's attacks were augmented by it. Focusing some more chakra into one strike, Naruto's fist couldn't move past the solid blue wall of protection, but the chakra slid through it like a hot knife through butter, creating a deep cut on Yugito's cheek and drawing blood.

After the successful strike, Naruto quickly jumped back, barely evading a sweep from Yugito's tail. Circling each other, the two Jinchuurikis looked at each other for openings. The cut on Yugito's cheek started to heal already, as was expected, but she showed no opening.

Until, suddenly, Yugito's cloak flared up, sending large blue flames bursting from her sides. A moment later the flames changed shape, seemingly turning into themselves until they were no longer flames, but rather human-sized orbs. And then they continued molding, becoming bodies.

"Faerie Fire?" Naruto couldn't hide his surprise as Yugito used her unique ability. That was the opening the Cloud Kunoichi apparently needed, because she was upon him a moment later, her chakra-claws extended to strike at him when she hadn't crossed half the distance. Naruto's Cloak took the hit, keeping the blonde safe, but it wasn't enough to protect him when a massive fireball struck him.

The impact sent Naruto flying, skipping along the ground like Yugito had done not long ago. Using his chakra-claws, Naruto stabilized himself and looked back at his opponent. Two figures were now standing next to Yugito, both fully formed; Kakuzu and Orochimaru, each ready for battle.

Kakuzu still had seams along his body closing up after using his fire elemental technique, but Orochimaru was already dashing forward, his body moving in inhuman ways as it wrapped around Naruto. With Orochimaru wrapped around him, keeping him in place, Naruto was helpless, unable to move or break free as Kakuzu prepared another technique.

"That's enough." Gaara's voice broke from the clearing and as soon as the order was given, Yugito dispelled her techniques and returned to her normal form, standing up straight. As soon as Orochimaru disappeared, Naruto fell to the ground and took a second or so to collect himself before also releasing his Cloak.

After moving to where Gaara and Izayoi were sitting to watch the fight, Naruto couldn't help himself.

"Yugito, how'd you do that? You used Fearie Fire when you were in your Cloak form. I can't use any Ninjutsu at that stage, only pure-chakra abilities like Rasengan."

Yugito looked at Naruto and for once she showed something other then annoyance or anger. Instead, she looked at Naruto like he was asking her to walk, as if he were an idiot.

"When I assume my demon-based forms, of course I can still use the abilities that I receive from the Niibi. I can't use normal Ninjutsu, but with Niibi I won't have to. I thought that would be obvious; the demon forms enhance my abilities, but more then anything else it allows me to use the demon abilities easier."

"Guess that makes sense." Naruto gave her a nod, but another thought had entered his mind. As Gaara and Izayoi walked forward to hold a spar of their own, he couldn't help but wonder.

'_Do __I __have __any __special __demon __abilities?_'

XxX

As the colors whirled around everywhere, Richard took a deep breath, waiting for the others to arrive. He wasn't looking forward to this particular meeting, but it had to be done. Zetsu would report on the abilities on the Demon Squad and their abilities. And as Richard had seen, their teamwork was downright pathetic. Zetsu would report as much, which meant that Richard would have to steer the conversation away from that and somehow still make them out as a credible threat. Or at least do something to make sure someone like Kisame or Deidara didn't suddenly get the smart idea to kill them before they learned how to work together.

As the other members of Akatsuki appeared one by one, Richard mentally prepared what he would ask and say. Hopefully, he'd be able to buy the Jinchuuriki enough time to become a real threat. He needed them to be one.

"Now that everyone is here," Konan started, standing somewhere to his left, "shall we begin the meeting?"

"Indeed." Richard made sure his voice was heavy and controlled, just like everyone in Akatsuki was used too. "Zetsu, report."

"As you said, the team of Jinchuuriki gathered at our old base near the Sand Village." The black half of Zetsu – the one mostly in control and the most sane of the two – started, "once they were inside, we blocked the entrance so it was unlike forces on the outside could get in. then we started fighting them."

"That part wasn't any fun!" The white half suddenly piped up, it's tone far more erratic. "We just kept on moving and moving and they couldn't even get near us! It was pretty boring."

"So, you overpowered them easily?" Itachi asked, his interest obviously piqued. Zetsu was a useful scout, but he was not a particularly powerful fighter, especially considering the rest of Akatsuki.

"No." Black was in control again, "We fought them for a bit, testing their abilities, but just like they couldn't hurt me, I couldn't hurt them."

"Why was that?" Richard asked, glad for Itachi's aid, but still feeling a need to control the conversation.

"They each possess powerful abilities." Black continued, "and even without Shukaku the Kazekage is still capable of defending others efficiently."

"That is all?" Richard continued, "It was only because of Gaara that they escaped you?"

"Nope!" White resurfaced again, making the contrast all the sharper, "they were all pretty fast, which was boooooring! We couldn't hit fox-boy, he kept on running and running and running like an annoying little pest. And the mean-looking cat-lady… she kept on calling in other people that we had to crush first. They were all really annoying."

"So, Naruto was physically able to evade your techniques?" Kisame sounded amused, even more so then usual. "Guess he did learn a thing or two after we last met."

"And Yugito has great control over her ability to call back the dead." Richard added, again glad for the aid. "What of Izayoi? The girl with the ice-based powers?"

"That one is odd." White Zetsu continued. "Every time we got close, she'd stay away, really boring. And she hardly attacked at all! Only a couple times, actually. She's no fun to play with."

"But when she did attack, what do you think of her abilities?"

"Powerful." Black answered, "She froze most of the ground around her to prevent me from getting close with my Earth Transportation, which made her annoyance. And the few times she did attack, her attacks were incredibly powerful."

"How powerful?"

"If there hadn't been others in the room, she could probably have frozen the entire room, killing me in the process. But she couldn't."

"And why was that?"

"Because there were others. The four of them are strong, but they couldn't work together. They got more in each others ways then anything else."

"And did you notice any other defenses? A trap of any sorts to be triggered?" Now the conversation was heading into dangerous waters, Richard knew, but he had to ask these questions if he wanted this to succeed.

"No." Black answered, "Nothing activated while we were there, no matter how close we got."

"Yet you say their teamwork was horrible?"

"Yes."

"Then maybe that is our trap." Richard announced, "Why would the five Kages sent a team of idiots after us, if not to lure is in overconfidence? They faced only a single opponent and made sure to give the impression of incompetence. But do not forget who these opponents are. Naruto alone faced four of us in battle and he still lives. Yes, he has had aid, but do not deny that he fought Hidan to a standstill on his own. Izayoi and Yugito have the potential power to completely destroy any one of us and Gaara, while weakened, is still a capable strategist."

"Ooh I get it!" Tobi nearly jumped up in sudden excitement, "they're putting in a pretty crafty trap for us! So when we do go near them, we suddenly get trapped by like a hundred-thousand enemies!"

"Tobi, Shut! Up!" Deidara immediately barked, but Richard nodded in approval.

"Not quite that much, Tobi." He chuckled, "but there will no doubt be a powerful surprise waiting for us when we go to meet them."

"So, what do you suggest we do then?" Itachi asked, his voice as monotone as always, "If what you say is true, attacking them is dangerous, but are we just going to let them go around unchecked?"

"For now." Richard looked at the entire gathering in turn, seeing their shadowy faces and could barely hold a smile. "Let them think their trap is successful for now. When we meet them again, we will show them otherwise. I will see to them personally, to let their arrogance grow and have their trap backfire on them."

As everyone gathered nodded, Richard could barely contain a smile. He had bought Naruto and his new group all the time they needed. But now, he had to ensure that they would use that time right.

XxX

After a week of being around each other all the time, getting into at least three arguments per day – usually between Naruto and Yugito, but once between Naruto and Gaara – the Demon Squad were gathering for food at a restaurant in Konoha. Since they had spend the entire week together and no major problems had occurred - Gaara had only had to enforce his no-food rule once! – Gaara was going to treat them.

The inside of the restaurant was crowded, but not overly so. As they sat down and their orders arrived, however, Naruto saw something that made him freeze in place. And he wasn't the only one.

Uchiha Sasuke walked into the restaurant and proceeded to take an empty table; the one that made him sit right next to Naruto. His mere presence made Naruto lose his appetite and filled him with fury. How dare Sasuke appear here, like nothing had ever happened when he had done such vile acts of betrayal? Sure, on a completely rational level, he knew that what Sasuke did was for the best, it had ended with Orochimaru dead and the Sound Village destroyed after all.

But just because it was logical didn't mean that Naruto approved of it. Sasuke had nearly killed him! And the words he had said that day at the Valley of the End had cut deep.

Barely controlling his anger, Naruto made to stand, but Gaara placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and stopped him. Before either boy could say anything, however, their eyes were drawn to Izayoi as the black-haired Mist Kunoichi stood up and walked over to Sasuke's table.

"How did you feel about it?" the question was odd coming from the girl, made even more so by her voice; a mix of her old icy cold voice and genuine curiosity. Apparently, nearly the entire restaurant was paying attention, because complete and absolute silence reigned.

Sasuke gave the girl a calculated look, but apparently even he was somewhat surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"About betraying those you call friends." Izayoi returned. "Sakura-san told me that you and Uzumaki Naruto share a special bond as friends, but you betrayed them when you joined Orochimaru. How did you feel about that? I have problems understanding feelings and realizing what others feel, but the strange feelings I get when I am with others… I would not care to remove those feelings by never being around them again."

Naruto nearly felt his jaw drop and was sure that Gaara and Yugito had similar levels of surprise on their faces; the girl had hardly spoken two sentences at the table!

"You care for them." Sasuke said a moment later, having apparently gotten time enough to consider his answer. "That is the strange feeling you get around others. I know it all too well. I had it too, but then I realized that there was more to being friends then just being there to hold someone's hand when they cry. I joined Orichimaru to protect my friends, so he wouldn't go to hurt them any more. And beyond that, so we could finally bring him down and finish his evil once and for all."

This too seemed to draw a lot of surprised looks, but Sasuke wasn't done yet.

"But you ask me how I felt about it? I'm not sure. Sometimes I felt horrible for what I had done, for betraying my friends, even if it was to save them. But at other times… I won't lie; the power I got, the training Orochimaru gave me… it made me feel good, powerful. So I felt bad about betraying them, but good about training with Orochimaru. If you can understand such feelings."

Izayoi lost herself in her thoughts for a few seconds, giving Sasuke a quizzical look before turning around and sitting back at her own table. Naruto still gave Sasuke glares; no matter how he might reason it away, Sasuke had nearly KILLED him! And he hadn't known about Naruto's healing at the time. Naruto wasn't going to forgive him for that anytime soon, especially if it was all a ruse just to get into Orochimaru's good graces.

Gaara didn't react to Sasuke's statement, but Yugito gave a nod, apparently agreeing with the Uchiha's words. Naruto was about ready to rip Yugito a new one, but before he could do so, Sasuke continued talking.

"How did your missions go? I keep feeling massive amounts of chakra whenever you spar, but nothing is ever released about your missions."

"Well, if you haven't heard about it, then I suppose you don't have to know!" Naruto glared at his former friend. Maybe he was being childish, Naruto knew, but there was no way he was going to let Sasuke get off easily for what he did. Gaara however, didn't seem to have any such feelings.

"It didn't go as expected." The Kazekage stated, his voice as flat as Naruto had ever heard it, while he drank some more tea. "That is all you need to know, unless a public statement is made later on."

XxX

"Hey Ryu, don't fall behind!" one of the guards of the merchant's caravan called to Richard as he was lost in thought… again. Putting a hand through his new, volumous amount of black hair, Richard gave an idiotic grin and ran forward a bit.

"Sorry, sorry." He apologized, though the guard was smiling at him, "I got lost in my thoughts again."

"Stop thinking so much kid, you're young!" the guard laughed as he slammed Richard's shoulder. "You shouldn't be worried about anything other then the next girl to get into your bed and how to look intimidating, am I right?"

"You probably are, Tanshiro-san." Richard nodded, still wearing an idiot grin. Joining with this caravan had been a pretty good idea. They travelled slowly, but they would get into Konoha with little to no problems and most of the people had taken to him quite easily.

This was one of the reasons Richard preferred to travel with others; they always amused him and he liked the company. Traveling alone was by far faster and stealthier, but when there was no need to… he enjoyed donning a new disguise and traveling with others. It gave him new connections to people and, most importantly, gave him days and days of fun.

Right now, he was an average-looking, slightly-tall-for-his-age teenager with black hair and dark eyes, who was going to Konoha in hopes of finding work there. Hundreds just like him would go there every year, so his story wouldn't stand out and his appearance was common enough that no-one really remembered him.

Still though, he'd be glad when he could end the charade and return to his more preferred, much tamer brown hair. Long hair required so much attention, brushing it and whatnot to keep up a good appearance.

But there was another advantage to travelling so slowly; it gave Richard plenty of time to think about what he'd do once he got to Konoha.

'_I __need __to __contact __someone __from __Team __Demon __directly,_' Richard told himself, '_but __that__'__ll __be __tricky,__no__ doubt __they__'__ll __be __on __their __guard.__And __I __have __to __somehow __work __this __whole __Sasuke-angle __in __as __well._'

Well, it would be a challenge, of that there was no doubt. But Richard didn't mind a challenge. In fact, he lived for them. The bigger the challenge, the better.

XxX

The next morning, the training ground was once again a hive of activity. Naruto and Gaara stood behind a wall of sand as Gaara protected them from the wave of fire. Across from the field, a house-sized cat made of blue chakra flames closed it's mouth, the fires died and instead it pounced.

For this training exercise, Yugito had transformed to her full demon form, though smaller. The smaller size allowed Yugito to remain in control and it didn't burn through her chakra as fast as the full-size version.

His own body charged with the Kyuubi's demon chakra, Naruto rushed forward, using the moment of recovery for an opening. It worked. With all of his speed and power, Naruto struck the Two-Tailed Cat straight in the face, forcing it back quite a distance. Gaara didn't wait long to follow up; Sand erupted from the ground around the cat, spinning up and binding her down.

But Niibi wasn't held so easily. With some effort she broke the bonds and got back to her feet. Naruto charged forward again, ready for another strike, but this time the larger-then-life cat moved aside and instead charged at Gaara.

When the Kazekage saw that Naruto was still recovering from his charge, he immediately gathered sand around him, ready for attack and defense. Three large spears of sand shot forward, but Niibi jumped in between each of them with her cat-like agility, evading them and closing the distance. Gaara tried to defend himself, raising a thick barrier of sand, but the Niibi was too fast. It literally pounced the teenaged redhead, crushing the sand with her sheer weight and holding the Kazekage in place.

Naruto charged forward a moment later, his right fist loaded on chakra and ready to use either one of his close-range finishing techniques, but the Niibi made him abandon his charge with another blast of flaming breath. Jumping up to avoid getting roast alive, Naruto was rendered useless to evade Niibi's next attack; getting smashed between both tails.

With Gaara now unable to move and Naruto dazed and down for the count, the Niibi stepped back and quickly transformed back into Yugito.

"Are you all right, Kazekage-dono?" Yugito asked as she helped the redhead to his feet.

"I will manage." Gaara answered, though he gave a wince when he tried to move an arm. "I never thought of the possibility of someone breaking through my defenses with sheer mass. Fortunately, I don't seem to have anything worse then a bruising."

"And I'm doing good too, thanks for asking." Naruto got up, only to fall down on his ass right away.

"You have an outstanding healing factor, Naruto, the Kazekage doesn't." Yugito gave him a quick look, and then turned back to the redhead.

Izayoi walked over from where she had been observing the fight, holding a notebook.

"Izayoi, what's your assessment?" Gaara turned to the girl.

"Your teamwork was better then any other combination we've tried so far. You lasted substantially longer against the Niibi then both other combinations of teams and you were able to cover for each other's weaknesses well. This seems like a powerful combination, with your excellent defenses, combined with Naruto offensive ability helping each other out significantly."

"I agree." Yugito said, sitting down and taking a deep breath. "When Izayoi teamed up with someone, it wasn't as difficult to defeat the team."

"Well, glad to know we've all learned the worth of good teamwork." Naruto joked as he got up from the ground. "Now can we go get some lunch?"

"Yes, it is lunchtime." Gaara agreed. "Yugito, starting from this afternoon, I want you to begin instructing Naruto and Izayoi in how to use their demonic forms."

This drew the attention of all three his team members, but Gaara continued on without a problem as usual.

"We've just seen how much more powerful a full demon form is. One-on-one, you could give each of us a good fight, Yugito, but you only barely won. When you transformed, you defeated us two-on-one easily. Imagine how much stronger we could be if Naruto and Izayoi could also transform."

"Sir, it's impossible." Yugito protested, much to everyone's shock. Yugito never, ever contradicted an order.

"Why is it impossible?" Naruto asked, "I mean, we all have demon chakra and sure, Izayoi's not too good with drawing on Fènghuáng's chakra yet, but she's getting there. Full-on demon mode is the next step, right?"

"No, it's not." Yugito started, looking at each of her team members in turn as she continued. "Transforming into full demon form takes a level of control that is far above that needed to go into a basic tailed state. More than that, unless you are in complete control, you will lose yourself to the demon and continue burning through chakra until you die. To transform, you first have to master the demon itself and all of it's abilities. To do otherwise, is to invite disaster."

"Then, how'd you do it?" Naruto asked, now back on his feet.

"I did it when I was older then you are now." Yugito returned, "When I was fifteen, I learned how to fully use the demon powers to enhance my physical performance; the Demon's Cloak. When I was eighteen, I went into a specialized training room, where I spent a week meditating and struggling with the Niibi to gain control over the Faerie Fire. Once I had that, it took me another three years before I could effectively use it in battle. When I was twenty-five, I entered the room again and struggled with the Niibi again, this time in hopes of truly mastering it. Five attempts, three near-deaths and two months later I finally succeeded."

"Well, I already learned to use the Kyuubi's powers when I was twelve, so maybe I've got a head start." Naruto offered.

"Maybe, but even if you did, it'd be useless by this point. Unless you are physically an adult – meaning your body won't grow any more, your hormones have settled down and you whatnot – it is dangerous to transform, willingly or otherwise. It may force your bones into strange shapes, which can then adapt into your natural growth. So unless you want to look like a half-animal all the time, don't transform too often."

Naruto and Gaara both looked deep in thought when a burst of chakra suddenly erupted from Izayoi. When she opened her eyes, they were golden and the pupils were gone.

"**What**** this ****one ****says ****is ****true,**" a heavy, masculine voice came from the girl's mouth, spooking them all, "**the ****power**** that**** the**** Guardians ****and**** the**** Gatekeepers**** possess****is**** too ****much**** for**** a**** human ****body**** to**** handle**** for**** any**** period**** of**** time,**** but**** more**** so**** for**** those****whose**** bodies**** can**** still**** be**** influenced.**"

"Fènghuáng?" Naruto asked, wonder in his voice. It was downright creeping hearing the large bird's voice coming from the girl.

"**Indeed, ****Master ****Naruto.**" Naruto felt shivers run down his back as Fènghuáng turned his large yellow eyes to Naruto. "**But, ****Master ****Gaara, ****I ****understand**** your ****fears. ****Should ****the ****worst ****come ****to ****pass ****and ****you ****face ****an ****enemy ****you ****cannot ****defeat ****without ****aid, ****I ****can ****provide ****you ****with ****my ****power****. ****It ****will ****not ****be ****without ****risks ****to ****my ****container,**** but ****in ****the ****end ****risks ****are ****better ****than ****death**."

"Risky, how?" Now the yellow eyes turned to Gaara, but the Kazekage didn't even flinch.

"**My ****container ****would ****be**** tired**** for**** some****time**** afterwards ****and,**** like**** Mistress**** Yugito**** said,**** it ****may**** have**** consequences**** for**** her**** natural**** growth,**** but**** the**** risks**** should**** be ****minimized**** as**** long**** as ****my**** interferences**** stay**** short.**"

"And this? Won't this be dangerous to her?"

"**It ****should ****not ****be. ****She ****may ****be ****disoriented ****for ****a ****moment ****and**** slightly ****tired, ****but ****no ****other ****effects.**** Only**** if ****I ****force ****a ****full transformation ****will ****her ****body**** be ****affected****.****As ****I**** said, ****it ****is ****not ****without ****risks, ****but ****if ****it ****makes ****the ****difference ****between ****life ****and**** death, ****I**** am**** sure ****you ****won****'****t ****mind.**"

XxX

"Hey, Naruto, how're you doing?" An old man asked as the team walked through the street after dinner. Naruto said a quick reply, but otherwise, the team just kept on walking.

This hadn't been the first time strangers had addressed the team and, apparently every single citizen of Konoha had made it their personal mission to enthusiastically greet the teenager and more then a few of them had given him their best wishes or otherwise spoke highly of them. Worse, with every greeting, Naruto's ego and grin seemed to grow bigger and bigger.

"How is it that you have a profession where anonymity is your first weapon, yet everyone seems to know who you are?" Yugito finally asked when they took a turn.

"Couldn't be helped." Naruto said, though he sounded surprisingly sober, now that there weren't any other people around. "I did some very public things, so the public knows me. Or rather, they all know I exist. My past makes it nearly impossible to stay unknown and the kind of fights I had… well, they're the stuff that goes into the history books, because they were so public."

"But doesn't that ruin your entire career as a ninja?" Yugito's tone wasn't as disapproving as it had been a week ago, now they really were just having a conversation.

"Actually, it doesn't." Naruto turned and looked at the older blonde, "A textbook ninja stays in the shadow and remains unknown, but that also means that the people who hire for missions don't know them. Me, I'm not living in the shadows and everyone's heard of my fights – some blown out of proportion quite a bit – so they all want me to take their missions. Queue a bidding war. And even so, in public I don't show my full ability as a ninja, I just show what people expect to see; the same me as three years ago. A goofball who's ego inflates too much with a single compliment and who can't do anything but rush forward and get knocked down time and again."

"I see." Izayoi held her head just a little to the side, the puzzled look on her face now switched to one of understanding. "Instead of hiding in the shadows, you hide in plain sight."

"Exac-WHOA!" Naruto fell over as a young boy barreled into him from the side the moment they entered another crowded street.

"Sorry man!" the boy, no older then eight, immediately jumped back up, then saw who he had run into. "Oh man, Naruto! Awesome! Hey, sorry I ran into you like that, but I really wasn't watching where I was going, sorry about that. Hey, I've gotta go, was really awesome meeting you!"

Just as quickly, the boy was off running again. Naruto jumped back to his feet, and then looked after the kid.

"Odd…" he muttered, but neither he nor his teammates gave it any more thought.

"Naruto, how do you feel?" Izayoi asked when they continued walking.

"Fine, you don't have to worry about me Izayoi." Naruto grinned at her, "he just crashed into me, nothing serious."

"No, not about the boy. About how the people here treat you. You say you have to show them a fake face, but how do you feel about that?"

Naruto, Yugito and Gaara all looked at the girl, curious. She often questioned others about how they felt, which was natural, but they could all see that she was getting more and more stable. But that also meant her questions were getting more and more complicated.

"Well… I suppose it makes me feel good, even if it is a little pretend." Naruto finally said, "It may not all be entirely real and maybe a little shallow, I won't deny that. But that doesn't mean that, right now, it doesn't feels good."

"It's odd." This time it was Yugito who spoke up, though she wasn't looking at her teammates. Rather, she was looking around, apparently taking in the entire village. "I've always been taught that Shinobi don't need to feel good. A shinobi is a tool, a tool of death, deceit and deception. Worry only about the mission and how best to serve those who we have sworn to aid; our Kage."

"A powerful, logical and military ideology." Gaara answered, drawing the attention of his entire squad. "And one that is not wrong. However, it is not the only answer. As a ninja, you must know; there is never a single answer. There are always alternatives to the paths you take, some better, some worse, some equal. But they are different. Each mission can be carried out however you want it, as long as you reach your objective. This is no different. Each village has a different philosophy, but none of them are wrong and none of them are truly right."

Silence ruled for the rest of their walk home, but for once it was a comfortable silence. Stuffing his hands in his pocket's Naruto was surprised to find a little square box.

"What's this?" He wondered, drawing it out of his pocket. As soon as he pulled it out, the wrappings felt away and revealed a ring. That was all Naruto remembered as Darkness claimed him.

XxX

On the other side of the village, Sasuke returned home from teaching the ANBU more of Orochimaru's tactics, when all his senses went on alert.

'_Something__'__s __wrong._' The Uchiha thought as he entered. There was no evidence, but he could just feel it. '_Someone__'__s__ been __here__._'

Drawing a kunai with his left, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and slowly advanced into his house, not making a sound. Every room he passed, he quickly checked, but there were no signs of intruders anywhere. But even so, his unease remained.

When he finally entered the living room, Sasuke nearly dropped his kunai out of shock. There, in the center of the table, was a single ring, the kind that belonged to Akatsuki. Orochimaru had shown it to Sasuke once, when he explained what the rings did and Sasuke still remembered every detail about the ring. This was not Orochimaru's ring, but it was something similar. There was, however, no marking to indicate who had owned the ring.

But it was the note behind it that caught Sasuke's attention. A white piece of paper, with flowing handwriting that Sasuke would recognize out of a thousand.

_To my Little Brother, to celebrate your rise from traitor to Hero. An example to all Uchiha._

More cautious then ever before, Sasuke gave the room a good look, but there didn't seem to be anything that would trigger a genjutsu. Slowly, Sasuke stepped forward.

Only to suddenly lose his balance as he tripped over an invisible wire and was sent crashing into the table, his finger touching the ring. Darkness instantly swallowed him, but an instant later it was replaced by swirling colors that were everywhere.

"Sasuke?" A voice sounded from somewhere to Sasuke's side. Even though there was no ground that Sasuke could see, he still managed to turn around. Standing a short distance away was Naruto, but his appearance was more like a shade then anything else. Only his eyes were clear, the rest of him was pure shadow.

"Naruto? What's going on, where are we?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. I was walking down the street, when I touched a ring and all of a sudden I'm here."

"I was coming home when I found a ring on the table. I tripped and touched it…"

"And here you two are." A third voice finished the sentence, drawing attention from the two teens. Like Naruto and Sasuke – now that he had taken a quick look at his own hands – the man was a walking shadow, but with clear shapes. Automatically, Sasuke memorized his features.

He was of average height for an adult, with an average build. No clear muscles, but no fat either. His hair was short and spiky, but the color was impossible to make out. The only thing that stood out about him were his eyes, which had rings in them. From his pupils out, there were four or five rings forming, dominating his eyes and giving him a rather disturbing look.

For some reason, Sasuke felt like he had seen it before, but he recognized it from Orochimaru's stories

"So glad you could make it." the new shadow said, "I've been looking forward to talking to the two of you in private, it's a real pleasure."

"Who are you?" Naruto's voice was calm, but Sasuke didn't fail to notice the edge; Naruto was worried and getting ready for a fight.

"A good question, but one that's hard to answer." The man said, with a wave of his hand, a chair appeared and he sat down. "I am a man of many names and I have been in many places. Ryu, Francois, Kanryu, Arthur, Bahram, Ahmed… all names I have held for a time. But for now, I go by the western name of Richard."

The name seemed to ring a bell and apparently, Naruto felt the same because his face changed, but he was still confused as well.

"But that's just a name. As to who I am…" Richard waved another hand and two more seats appeared. "Please, have a seat. I don't mean you any harm here, I only want to talk. You two are very, very fascinating. As I said, I am Richard. I am the founder and leader of Akatsuki."

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Beta Note: Consider this chapter certified by the ever-present Kushin eX.

As always, please leave a review telling me what you thought.

Everyone, I apologize for the sudden lack of spacing in the bold and italic lines, I do not know where that came from. when I was writing the chapter and when I went over it in MS word, everything was fine. it was not supposed to all be put together, but apparently FFN messes up the spacing for some reason... something that has never happened before the last chapter.


	61. Chapter 61

Disclaimer: don't own nothing.

A/N: Sorry for having taken so long with this chapter, but writer's block, real life and a couple others things took up more time that I'd realized. Hopefully, i will be able to return to my usual update schedule soon.

A/N2: Kushin eX has a new fanfic in action that I Beta, I recommend you all go read it, it's a great read and has a lot of highly interesting characters. You can find it in the Naruto section under the name of "The Ultimate Stars"

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Izayoi was surprised to say the least, when Naruto suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence and instead dropped forward, his eyes completely blank. Apparently, she wasn't the only one, because Gaara's eyes visibly widened and Yugito was just as frozen as she was. As the blonde teen dropped to the ground without so much as a peep, the Kazekage seemed to unfreeze.

"Don't touch him." The redhead immediately ordered, his sand already in action, prodding the blonde to see if he would wake. "Nothing seems to work." Gaara concluded a few seconds later, after Naruto refused to wake upon being stabbed by a sand needle hard enough to draw blood from his right shoulder.

"What's that?" Izayoi drew the attention of her teammates as she pointed towards an object that had rolled from Naruto's hand. "He was holding it."

"I'll get it." An instant later, the object – a ring, Izayoi had realized – was surrounded by sand and lifted into the sky. "We can't keep standing around here, we have to get moving. We'll go to the Hokage's office. I'll carry Naruto there. Dessert Coffin."

At Gaara's command, the sand wrapped around Naruto almost instantly, hiding him from sight and levitating after the Kazekage. Izayoi and Yugito quickly followed the team leader as he jumped from roof to roof, heading to the Hokage as fast as possible.

XxX

"Wh-what?" the stumble left Naruto's mouth before he could make his tone more confident. That wasn't helping things, especially if this was as bad as Naruto thought it was.

"I am Richard," the shadowy figure repeated pleasantly, "the founder and leader of Akatsuki. It's a pleasure to meet you two again."

"What'd you mean, again?" Sasuke asked; his voice completely under control.

"Everything will be explained in due time." The shadowy man said, before he sat down. A moment before, Naruto hadn't even seen the chair. It seemed to appear out of nowhere when Richard sat down. "Please, take a seat. I only brought you here to talk."

Sure enough, looking behind him, Naruto saw that a chair had formed. It was as changing in color as everything else, but the form was solid. It even looked rather comfortable. Behind Sasuke, a similar chair had formed. Neither shinobi sat down, instead keeping their eyes on Richard.

"Well, I can't say I haven't been expecting such distrust." Richard sighed. "Then I guess you would prefer to remain standing, very well."

"Where are we?" Sasuke asked; his voice as clear as crystal. Naruto didn't turn to look around, keeping his eyes on the shadowy form of Akatsuki's leader.

"A question that I think your friend Naruto can answer and explain when you have returned to your bodies. For now, it is time to focus on the more important things."

"What'd you want?" Naruto asked instead, noting from the corner of his eye that Sasuke also kept his full attention on their foe.

"Such a complicated question," Richard chuckled. Spreading his arms wide, he answered with amusement clear in his voice. "What does anyone want? Wine, women and wealth? Power, riches and bitches, as they say? What I want is a girl in my bed at night, enough peace of mind to sleep soundly and enjoy good food all day long."

"You know what I mean." Naruto was annoyed, but he knew they had no choice but to play along with his game. "Why'd you bring us here? What do you want with us?"

"A far more precise question makes it much easier to answer. I want to talk to you, as I said before. That is why I brought you here and that is what I want with you."

Naruto was grinding his teeth, but Richard's smile only seemed to grow further.

"But what I'm sure you mean is _what_ do I want to talk to you about? So I will explain." Richard sat back like before, casually leaning against the chair. "I have brought you here to tell you of Akatsuki's goals and, more importantly, your role in them."

"What?" Naruto and Sasuke said it at the same time, neither loudly, but enough to be heard.

"I have created Akatsuki for a single goal." Richard continued as if the two hadn't spoke up, looking at each of them in turn, "To unify the world and create world peace. This will only become possible by providing the Shinobi Nations – the most warlike continent in the world – with a single, powerful opponent they can not defeat on their own. In doing this, they will unite and create peace between them. Then, the rest of the world will follow their example and peace will soon become reality."

"You're kidding right? How stupid do you think we are? No way that'd happen." Sasuke argued, but Richard only looked at him like he was amused.

"But Akatsuki itself is still far too divided to provide such a strong threat." He continued, ignoring the Uchiha's outburst, "In order for them to become a large enough threat, I need everyone in Akatsuki to work as a team, covering each others' backs and fighting for a common goal. And that is where you two come in."

"I see." Was all Sasuke said.

"You want us to be a threat to them, the opponents they fear enough to begin cooperating…" Naruto added.

"Exactly," Richard sounded joyous that they had picked it up, but both teens looked incredibly sour. "I need you and your teams to be strong enough to look like a threat to Akatsuki, so they will unite at last. That is what I'm telling you: keep on training, take on as many missions as you can and become as strong as you can. But there's more. You are strong right now, no doubt. But not strong enough."

This raised two eyebrows – one from each teen – but no other reaction.

"So, I wish to meet you in person, to give you a peace offering of sorts. Something that will help you become stronger much faster. I will meet you two weeks from now, in person, to give you that gift. We'll meet at the Flat Plains in the Land of Grass. Not the most original place, but it should serve."

"Sure, we'll see you there." Naruto's voice was dripping in sarcasm, "Walk right into your little trap, meet with you and all of Akatsuki, why not? Maybe we'll bring everyone in Konoha and make it one big happy party."

"It's not that easy, Naruto-kun." The shadowy figure answered, ignoring the sarcasm. "I will tell you exactly who to bring. If you bring anyone else, I will not be there. You will never meet me again."

"I'm not hearing a downside." Sasuke said.

"There is. If you do not meet with me when I say so, you, your friends and all your loved ones are doomed. You won't meet me, even as I kill you. And I don't even need to be close to ensure your deaths. So, for your own sakes, appear."

Naruto felt the blood drain from his face. The threat was spoken as plainly as any other word Richard had said, as casually as possible, but perhaps that gave it more power. There was no _need_ to appear intimidating. He had already proven he could contact them with something without any problem. Next time, it might not be as harmless as this contact.

"So, two weeks from now, I will meet you in the Land of Grass. Of course, you won't be alone. Naruto, I want you to bring your entire team. With Gaara, Yugito and Izayoi at your back, you should have enough power to feel comfortable. Sasuke, you will also bring your own team. A team I will name. Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee and Akimichi Chouji. If anyone other than them appears, I will not. See you there."

With a pleasant, even friendly, wave of his hand, Richard's shadowy form simply vanished from existence. Naruto and Sasuke shared a look of confusion before they too vanished.

XxX

It happened in an instant: Naruto's eyes opened wide and in the same instant, he shot up, crashing his head straight into Tsunade's chest as she was still examining him. The others present in the room were shocked by the sudden movement, since a mere second ago; Naruto had been as good as comatose.

For a second or so, there was silence, until Naruto pulled back his head to regain a view of his surroundings.

"Wha? Where am I? Granny's office?" He quickly answered his own questions, speaking before the others could. "Quick, get someone to pick up Sasuke from his house, he was there as well! We gotta make sure he also got back!"

"Where were you?" "What's happened?" "Sasuke?" "You two were together?"

Questions seemed to come from every mouth present, the assistants that Tsunade had with her asking most of them. With a wave from Tsunade's hand, they all fell silent.

"What just happened, Naruto? Where did you think you went and how was Sasuke there?" her voice was a textbook example of perfect control, making it impossible for anyone to guess her actual feelings.

"I just had a meeting with the leader of Akatsuki, Sasuke was there as well and he wants to meet with us."

"What? How did you – "

"He pulled me into the Astral Plane." Naruto interrupted. This statement didn't get any reaction from Tsunade, but behind her there was enough reaction. Her aides – all five of them – looked confused by the statement, as did Izayoi. Gaara and Yugito, each masters of controlling their expressions, couldn't stop their eyes from widening and eyebrows from raising in shock.

"The Astral Plane?" Tsunade asked, still keeping control. With another wave of her hand, she ordered all her aids out the door. They'd ensure the order to send ANBU to Sasuke's house was dispatched, but this was another matter.

"The Astral Plane is an alternate dimension," Gaara explained before Naruto could begin, "it runs parallel to our own and is a plane that is normally accessible only to souls. However, in ordinary cases, it should not be fully accessible to human souls. As Jinchuuriki, we are except from this, due to the demons we hold."

"So, normal humans can't enter it?"

"Not fully." Yugito supplied, "however, there are cases where people can enter it on a subconscious level. The famous rumored twin telepathy, or soul mates or similar situations."

"There's more." Naruto spoke up again, "normally, the Astral Plane is shaped by the soul that controls it into taking a specific form. This Plane didn't have any form or shape."

"And what does that mean?" Frustration actually entered Tsunade's voice: she was used to being in control, to explaining things to others, not having people half her age explain things to her.

"It could mean anything." Naruto sighed, leaning back against the wall, his voice controlled and radiating odd but cool professionalism as he thought out loud, "but all we know is that this guy is odd and very dangerous. He could pull Sasuke – for all intends and purposes a normal human – into the Astral Plane, which should have been impossible. He pulled me into an unknown plane, without drawing in the Kyuubi. That means he has the means to separate my soul from the Kyuubi's. And if his personal Plane is so chaotic that it isn't stable… I don't know what that could mean."

"The most logical answer would be that his soul is unstable." Yugito suggested, "Without some level of stability, the soul cannot create a surrounding. But for his very soul to be unstable…"

"We can not discard the possibility that this man is a Jinchuuriki, like us." Gaara stated with confidence, "It is the most logical reason for his ability to enter a dimension that only demons should be able to access."

A knock on the door broke up the conversation and a second later four ANBU ninjas walked in, two of them holding Sasuke between them. He seemed to be alright, if slightly dazed. Following closely behind the squad came two other people Tsunade was glad to see: Morino Ibiki and Jiraiya.

Three minutes after, Sasuke's health was ensured by a checkup and he and Naruto were separately interviewed. Jiraiya checked Naruto's story, while Ibiki talked with Sasuke. In the meantime, Tsunade went over everything the ANBU squad discovered at the Uchiha mansion and what the Demon Squad reported from Naruto suddenly passing out.

According to the reports Tsunade had received twenty minutes later, both boys had told the exact same story. A man named Richard, with creepy eyes, wanting to meet with them and telling them he wanted world peace.

So now, Tsunade sat with Jiraiya and Gaara, considering what to do. The others had all been dismissed and had left the office.

"I hate the idea of doing exactly what he says when he's so clearly an enemy to us." Tsunade's face hardened, "I say we go send in another four squads of jonin and lay down a trap, kill him before he can act any further."

"I don't know Tsunade." Jiraiya sighed, "Naruto seems like he was struck pretty hard by this. He's not telling me everything, but I can't figure out the missing pieces."

"Naruto fears for his soul." Gaara stated, dread heavy in his voice. "Richard has just, rather easily, pulled his soul away from his body for a period of time to talk. What if, next time, he can not return to his body? With ordinary people this is already bad, but with a Jinchuuriki… it gives the demon inside all the time it needs to take over the host's body without any opposition."

"So, what do you think we should do, Gaara?" Tsunade eyed the young Kazekage, "You're obviously the most experienced of us with the Astral Plane, so what do you think."

"Until we find a method of protecting ourselves, I fear we can do nothing but what this Richard tells us. If we do not appear at the meeting place, you may soon find a lifeless Uchiha body and a rampaging demon in your village. So, for now, do as he says, meet him and find out what he wants. We still have enough time for our two teams to practice co-operation in the field. And in the meantime, I will have Yugito work on a counter-measure. She is the most knowledgeable shinobi in the world when it comes to souls, she may find a way to help us protect ours."

"Tell her to hurry that up. Until we manage to gain a defense against this kind of attack, we are sitting ducks. I'll arrange for the others to meet your squad for training tomorrow morning. For now, it looks like everyone needs their rest and I'll send a rapport to the other Kages."

XxX

Nearly two weeks later, Gaara felt a measure of confidence in the capability of these eight shinobi to work together. For the past twelve days, they had been doing training drills time and time again, fighting against each other, sharing information or facing off against other opponents. At one point, the Hokage and Jiraiya had teamed up against them.

That match had been rather exciting, but in the end, the duo's far superior teamwork and experience had prevailed. Since then, they had managed to fight other powerful combinations and end up victorious, but their teamwork still wasn't as smooth as when the two sages joined powers.

"So, here is your basic formation for when you go to encounter Richard." Shikamaru said, sitting next to the Kazekage and handing him a paper with a drawing. "Travel in an arrow formation, with Lee taking point and Chouji and Sasuke flanking him. Lee's a highly capable scout and most effective when he's close to the enemy, his movement speed will allow him great flexibility. Chouji can reach far and has great destructive power, but needs a short wind-up, which is why he's in a flank. Sasuke can quickly analyze any enemy weaknesses with his Sharingan and provide tactical information as well as serve as a back-up fighter."

Gaara nodded, so Shikamaru moved on to the next part: two dots next to each other. It had been Chouji's suggestion to ask Shikamaru's advice and it had proved to be a good idea. Richard had said not to bring anyone else, but Shikamaru wouldn't be going with them, only giving them advice.

"After that comes the center formation, which has Naruto and Sakura. As a medic, Sakura is the single most valuable member of your team and needs to have maximum security. She can't be attacked from the front or back without going through the team. Naruto is next to her for added protection and his ability to aid all sides instantly, thanks to his Shadow Clones and Shukuchi."

Again, Gaara nodded. Despite the fact that Shikamaru had only returned from a month-long mission yesterday, he had already devised an excellent strategy. Gaara had, himself, created one that was mostly similar.

"And finally, you, Yugito and Izayoi follow in a half-circle formation, with you in the center. Your shield makes it nearly impossible for anyone to attack you in the back and Izayoi is a specialist in long-range combat. Yugito, meanwhile, is the most versatile member of your team and can assist a lot while staying out of the thick of battle herself."

"Very well. And for when we encounter Richard himself?"

"When you see him, have Naruto, Sasuke and Lee take charge, with Chouji and Yugito guarding Sakura in the middle, while you and Izayoi stay back and assist from a distance. You'll need people who are very agile in the front, to keep the enemy busy and create an opening. Sakura and Chouji both have the destructive force needed to inflict heavy damage, but they lack the speed that's needed to force an opening. Yugito can assist for all ranges, you and Izayoi focus mostly on protecting your team and distracting the enemy."

Gaara accepted Shikamaru's two drawings and thanked him, surprised at just how fast the teenager had come up with the strategy. Yes, Gaara himself had come up with a plan that was generally the same – though he had not given Chouji a role in the front of the traveling formation and had placed Sakura in the back of the battle formation – but he had spend some hours thinking and considering. This Konoha shinobi had come up with the same in just under ten minutes. He could understand why Temari was often impressed by him, despite his lazy demeanor.

Raising the hand that held his now-permanent cigarette – something Temari had apparently been vocal in of disapproving – Shikamaru gave a wave to his friends before leaving. He had other business to attend. Gaara quickly dismissed the team after that, but not before giving orders to meet back at the eastern gate in three hours. That was when they would leave for the Country of Grass.

Naturally, the Demon Squad did not split up, instead all of them headed straight for Naruto's house to pack up. Despite their much improved teamwork, they still hadn't been allowed to leave each other's vicinity.

So, nearly three hours later, the specially formed anti-Akatsuki squad was already at the east gate and waiting for the other team to arrive. Sakura was the first to appear, walking alongside Lee and bringing a couple of surprise guests with her.

Naruto's heard skipped a beat as Hinata walked alongside Sakura, with Hanabi and Neji close behind. Hinata wasn't dressed in her normal shinobi clothes, Naruto noticed, instead wearing a kimono and looking as stunning as Naruto had ever seen her. A second look told him Hanabi was also in a kimono, while Neji wore his usual robes. More likely then not, the two heirs didn't have any missions and Neji was along as their bodyguard.

But Naruto didn't give any of that any real thought as Hinata came closer. Although they had been dating for some time now, he had, in fact, rarely seen her since that fateful party where she kissed him. Since he wasn't allowed to be away from his team, it was impossible to plan for any dates with her. Fortunately, she understood and wasn't vocally complaining, but it still left Naruto with a bad taste.

So now, when Hinata split off from Sakura and walked over to Naruto, he was all too glad to lead her a small distance away, so the two could sit in some relative privacy. And, for some reason, they could talk easier now then they had in all the times they had met before the party. Back then, when they were doing their dance sessions, both Naruto and Hinata would get tongue-tied and silence would rule. That problem was now almost completely gone as Naruto proudly told her off the training exercises he had been going through, while Hinata in return informed him off her missions and dealings with her clan. Before they even noticed it, the two were sitting side by side, Hinata leaning her head on Naruto's shoulder. When they did notice, silence fell between them, but it wasn't a tense silence like before. This time, Naruto took the initiative as he gently placed a hand below Hinata's chin and kissed her.

Only a loud call from Sakura – issued from a safe distance – warned the two that time had passed faster then they had wanted and it was time to go. Sharing one last, quick kiss, the shinobi and kunoichi walked back to the others and reluctantly let go of each other's hands.

"Please, return quickly." Hinata told her boyfriend with a smile. Naruto smiled back at her and nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be back before you know it. See you soon."

XxX

The sun was setting over the plains when the two teams arrived, the day before Richard was to appear. These plains were what had earned the Nation of Grass it's name; nothing but endless fields of grass as far as the eye could see. In the morning and afternoon, these fields would be full of livestock, but for now, they were completely empty.

"We'll camp here for tonight." Gaara ordered, still staying in the forests just outside the plains. Here, at least, they would not be completely visible like on the plains. "Two men guard, switch every two hours. We wake and prepare an hour before dawn."

Fortunately nothing happened that night, same as the journey. Apparently, Richard did intend to keep his promise about not attacking them. But now came the hardest part; waiting. Since Richard had not specified a location, they would have to wait for him to appear. This also meant that setting traps was useless. The livestock already appearing would set them off and create unneeded chaos and Richard could just tell them to come to him, rendering any effort pointless.

"Over there." Lee pointed towards the north, where a single man was slowly making his way over. There were some shepherds around, but this man was walking alone, with no livestock around. As he got closer, they could also recognize the infamous Akatsuki cloak and hat.

The figure seemed to be taking his sweet time, casually walking towards the two teams who were already standing in their battle formation. It took him nearly an hour to get close enough to talk.

"Ah, greetings to you all, pleased to see you could make it." He gave a quick nod, "I don't normally wear the hat, but I thought you would appreciate the warning that I am truly a member of Akatsuki. For those of you who do not know me, I am Richard. Founder of Akatsuki."

With a flourish Richard removed his hat and gave them a quick bow, but his eyes always stayed on the group. Everyone in the group immediately tried to memorize his features. Short, shaggy brown hair, a face that was neither handsome nor ugly, no stubble or significant features, a build that was nothing out of the ordinary. All in all, he could pass for a perfectly ordinary man, except for his eyes.

But the oddest reaction came from Sasuke and Naruto; the two suddenly took a step back as they looked at the man, flinching as if they were in pain. Sasuke almost fell to his knees, barely holding out a cry of pain and grabbed his left arm. Naruto meanwhile placed a hand on his head as if he suddenly had a massive headache.

"Ah, impressive," Richard remarked as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Even after everything that happened the last time we saw each other, you still somehow remember me? Don't worry, your reaction is perfectly normal and the pain will ease in a few moments."

This statement seemed to shock the entire group, but they still didn't make a move: Gaara had to give the command for that.

"What are you talking about? You didn't do anything to them on the Astral Plane."

"That's right, I didn't." Richard smiled at the Kazekage. The smile actually made him seem rather pleasant, reminding people of a friendly neighbor. "But, in the Astral Plane, we didn't actually see each other. We saw projections, which I had rendered without color. The last time I saw these two in person was some months ago, when I healed their arms. That's what's causing their current pains."

Again, shock ran through the group, but this time it was Sakura who broke the silence.

"You healed their arms? But how? It was supposed to be impossible… how could you have done that?"

"That, my dear Sakura, is a trade secret." Richard now smiled at her, as if sharing a joke, "but suffice it to say, there was quite a lot of pain involved. The pain wiped their memories of the event clean but apparently their subconscious is more stubborn then I'd have thought. Seeing me is reawakening those memories and thus making them remember the pain they've gone through."

"Why would you heal your enemies?" this time the question came from Izayoi, but there was no confusion, just curiosity.

"Because I need them to be strong, of course." Richard shrugged, "They didn't tell you? I want your team to become a threat to Akatsuki, so we will grow stronger. In fact, that's why I called you all here. In order for you to become a credible threat to Akatsuki, your team needs more power than it has now."

"And I suppose you'll just hand us over that power on a silver platter?" Gaara managed to not sound sarcastic, instead phrasing it as a normal question.

"For the most part. It's why I have called you here. So I can give you a present."

Before anyone could even blink, Richard was gone, disappearing from sight, and then just as quickly re-appeared besides Gaara, already in the protective Wall of Sand. Both his hands were glowing, flames of chakra appearing on each fingertip as he suddenly shoved them into the Kazekage's stomach. His fingers penetrated the Armor of Sand as if it wasn't even there, and suddenly Gaara doubled over in pain.

All this happened in an instant before anyone could react. The next moment, Richard stepped back and, much like Zetsu had done, sank into the ground.

"A present for your efforts. Be sure not to die when it unwraps."

"GWAAARGH!" Gaara's cry of pain was almost inhuman to listen to and so loud that the others had to cover their ears. The sand on his gourd exploded outward, wrapping itself around the Kazekage as he kept on howling in pain. Each of the seven other shinobi quickly retreated, forming a circle around the Kazekage as his voice changed in the middle of a howl. Then more sand appeared, wrapping itself around the redhead and increasing his size a thousand fold.

"BWAGAHAG, I'M BACK!" came the insane and loud voice from that mass of sand, sending shivers down the backs of Naruto, Lee, Sasuke, Chouji and Sakura. They knew that voice.

"HAHAHA, I'M BACK AGAIN! AND NOW, I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Shukaku of the Sand had been returned.

XXXxxxXXXxxx

Beta Note: Kushin eX here, confirming the beta. Enjoy the chapter.

Please leave a review telling me what you think.


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